Streamlining Railcar Coupler Design with ANSYS for Enhanced Safety
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Intrusion Detection
Applicable Industries
- Electronics
- Railway & Metro
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
Use Cases
- Digital Twin
- Virtual Reality
Services
- System Integration
- Training
About The Customer
Voith Turbo Scharfenberg has been associated with quality and safety in the railway industry for over a century. The company's continuous technical refinements and updated technology have made the “Schaku” one of the most prominent railway coupler systems worldwide. With more than 500,000 couplers in use, from light rail vehicles to high-speed trains, the company has earned a high degree of trust from its customers. Today, Voith Turbo Scharfenberg's system solutions cover the whole range of energy absorbing components for train front ends, including kinematics and control electronics. The company's products are suited for any application and are perfect for their purpose, always one step ahead of the times with a firm focus on the safety of passengers and trains.
The Challenge
Voith Turbo Scharfenberg, a leader in the railway industry, faced the challenge of designing railcar couplers that could absorb the enormous energy created by a train collision, thereby enhancing passenger safety. The energy absorption systems had to meet specific standards and were required to function effectively not only during heavy impacts but also during smooth train operation or minor impacts. The components of the absorption system, particularly the rubber elements, undergo large deformation during a collision, making the simulation of these hyperelastic materials a challenge. Additionally, the specific nonlinear force-path characteristics of the absorption elements had to be met. The design assessment based on simulation of different collision scenarios was necessary to optimize the coupler and its energy absorption characteristics.
The Solution
Voith Turbo Scharfenberg utilized ANSYS Mechanical software to model the complex contact behavior between the casing and absorption elements as well as the contact between the rubber elements. The software's standard contact formulations were used to address the challenge of simulating hyperelastic materials. A characteristic force-path curve of test results was used to adjust the hyperelastic material behavior. Multiple load scenarios were analyzed to provide enough load combinations to adequately assess the design. The use of ANSYS Mechanical allowed a simple and fast setup of highly nonlinear analyses within ANSYS Workbench, streamlining the development process. Hyperelastic materials within ANSYS Workbench could be used in the ANSYS Mechanical simulation, and standard contact setting could be employed without convergence issues.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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