Simulation-based analysis of passenger ride comfort under different track conditions

The ride comfort of a passenger train is a fascinating research topic, continuously investigated and improved over the years, helping us to achieve unbelievable speeds. A rigid multibody system with 50 DOF, depicting the actual Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coach with FIAT bogie, is created to carry out the dynamic analysis on the straight rail track. The mean comfort standard method has been used to assess passenger ride comfort at different rail-car floor locations. The American sixth grade track spectrum has been introduced on the left rail only, which acts as a random excitation to the vehicle. Power spectral density (PSD) of acceleration and mean comfort index (N-mv) have been compared at different car floor locations for a speed range of 200-350 kmph. The peak values of the N-mv index and PSD of acceleration have been observed at the left and right locations of the rail-car floor.