Effect of track irregularities on the dynamic behavior of a tram vehicle

This paper presents an investigation of the effects of track irregularities on the dynamic responses of a tramway vehicle. A three-dimensional vehicle-track model is applied to investigate the dynamic behaviors of a tram vehicle subjected to the excitations of four types of track geometry irregularities: longitudinal level, alignment, cross level, and twist. Numerical simulations are then carried out to study the influences of the wavelength and amplitude of track irregularities on the running safety and ride comfort of the tram vehicle. The sensitive wavelengths of the track irregularities resulting in resonance of the vehicle-track system are identified. The numerical results show that the wavelength characteristics of track defects have a significant influence on the dynamics performances of tram vehicles, which should be carefully taken into account in the vehicle design, the track maintenance, and the vehicle operating strategy .