Vehicle Dynamic Simulations

Rail Sciences utilizes special software analysis tools for calculating vehicle dynamics and measuring vehicle performance. Vehicle dynamic calculations can be performed for new vehicle designs or in order to recreate a vehicles' dynamic performance during a derailment.

RSI utilizes VAMPIRE® to calculate vehicle dynamics. VAMPIRE® is a multi-body vehicle dynamics program that predicts a vehicles' dynamic response to various input parameters such as longitudinal force component, track geometry, speed and gravity.

The program calculates the associated forces, rotations, moments, velocities displacements, accelerations and L/V ratio that act on the various components of the vehicle being modeled. The vehicle components used in the model include the wheel sets, side frames, transoms, bolsters, adapters and centersills. In the simulation the various components are interconnected by appropriately defined spring, damper and/or friction contact elements such as the load spring groups, friction castings, center bearings and side bearings.

Rail Sciences engineers evaluate the inputs and outputs with the VAMPIRE® program and determine the vehicles' dynamic stability and the vehicles' dynamic interaction with the track structure.