Flexible-carbody multibody simulation for the analysis of ride comfort in rail vehicles

This paper illustrates the numerical procedure set up to simulate the dynamic response of a rail vehicle running on an irregular track. The proposed methodology, which involves finite element modelling of the carbody and vehicle multibody simulation, allows predicting the comfort performance of a new rail vehicle from the very beginning of the design process. An example of application is illustrated, showing the influence of the heavy undercarbody electrical equipment on the comfort levels of modern distributed traction units.