Improving the critical speeds of high-speed trains using magnetorheological technology

With the rapid development of high-speed railways, vibration control for maintaining stability, passenger comfort, and safety has become an important area of research. In order to investigate the mechanism of train vibration, the critical speeds of various DOFs with respect to suspension stiffness and damping are first calculated and analyzed based on its dynamic equations. Then, the sensitivity of the critical speed is studied by analyzing the influence of different suspension parameters. On the basis of these analyses, a conclusion is drawn that secondary lateral damping is the most sensitive suspension damper. Subsequently, the secondary lateral dampers are replaced with magnetorheological fluid (MRF) dampers. Finally, a high-speed train model with MRF dampers is simulated by a combined ADAMS and MATLAB simulation and tested in a roller rig test platform to investigate the mechanism of how the MRF damper affects the train's stability and critical speed. The results show that the semi-active suspension installed with MRF dampers substantially improves the stability and critical speed of the train.