Mechatronic track guidance on disturbed track: the trade-off between actuator performance and wheel wear

Abstract

Future high speed trains are the main focus of the DLR research project Next Generation Train (NGT). One central point of the research activities is the development of a mechatronic track guidance for the two axle intermediate wagons with steerable, individually powered, independently rotating wheels. The traction motors hereby fulfil two functions; they concurrently are traction drives and steering actuators. In this paper, the influence of the track properties – line layout and track irregularities – on the performance requirements for the guidance actuator is investigated using multi-body-models in SIMPACK®. In order to compromise on the design conflict between low wheel wear and low steering torques, the control parameters of the mechatronic track guidance are optimized using the DLR in-house software MOPS. Besides of the track irregularities especially the increasing inclination at transition curves defines high actuator requirements due to gyroscopic effects at high speed. After introducing a limiter for the actuating variables into the control system a good performance is achieved.