Determination of loads on the body of a boxcar with elastic elements in the center sill

Abstract

The authors suggest elastic elements in the body of a centre sill being the basic carrying element of the frame to decrease the dynamic loads. This solution can transform the dynamic loads on the body into the work of the dry friction forces between the components of the centre sill. The authors substantiated the solution by means of mathematic modelling of the dynamic loads on the body of a boxcar in the vertical plane, including the bouncing oscillations. The differential equations of the motion were solved with the Runge–Kutta method under the zero initial conditions. This solution can decrease the accelerations on the body of a boxcar by about 20 % in comparison to that of the prototype car. The study presents the strength calculations and the design service life for the body of a boxcar. It was calculated that the design service life of a boxcar was longer than that of the prototype car by about 20 %. The research may be used by those who are concerned about higher efficiency of railway transportation.