Research on the fatigue evaluation method of traction motor under railway track loads

In order to predict the vibration fatigue life reliably for the traction motor in railway vehicles under complex track load conditions. Vibration acceleration test data at the motor mounting base were obtained in this study through track tests firstly. Due to the presence of characteristics like impact loads and non-stationary random loads, direct application of quasi-static method and frequency-domain random vibration method may result in substantial risks. Time-domain step-by-step integration for vibration simulation is impractical due to computational enormity. In order to obtain the effective fatigue life evaluation method of welded structure in motor under tested track loads, new track loads clustering method was proposed in this study. This method can effectively compress measured data, reduce computational complexity, and consider influence of loads and non-stationary random loads on the fatigue in the motor structure, providing theoretical support for the design and improvement of the railway structure.Ten weld lines were selected for fatigue assessment in the text, with the minimum lifespan reaching 12 million kilometers, all meeting the fatigue resistance design requirements. • A load clustering method for fatigue life prediction is proposed. • The method considers the effects of impact loads and non-stationary loads. • This method can effectively compress the measurement data. • This method can be applied to rail vehicles, aerospace, automotive, and other industries.