Traction mechanics of rail vehicles
The course “Traction dynamics of rail vehicles” provides knowledge of the motion of means of transport, the forces causing this motion, and traction energy.
In contrast to general vehicle dynamics, vehicle motions about the transverse and vertical axes play only a minor role in this course; the focus of the analysis is clearly on motion along the route of travel.
Main Topics
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Classification of a train run into characteristic operating phases and derivation of the corresponding force equilibria; representation of train runs using speed–distance diagrams
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Vehicle resistance and its components
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Track resistance and its components
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Derivation of tractive-effort characteristics for different vehicles
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Determination and evaluation of traction power; preparation of haulage (tractive load) charts
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Introduction to energy demand and travel time calculation, taking energy-efficient driving strategies into account
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Introduction to train-run simulation, including a computer-based practical session
Time / Location
Lecture dates and locations will be announced via OPAL.
Interested students can enroll in the courses “Train Dynamics / Rail Vehicles” (weekly lecture) or “Train Dynamics for Transportation Engineers” (biweekly lecture with reduced depth of content). The courses are linked at the end of this page.
Lecturer
References
- Martin Kache: Traction mechanics of rail vehicles (in German), Springer
- Dietrich Wende: Traction mechanics of rail transport (in German), Springer
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Helmut Lehmann: Train Run Dynamics (in German), Shaker Verlag
Links to the OPAL courses accompanying the lectures:
Updates and news are available in the OPAL course Guide to Rail Vehilce Technology