Railway Bogie Jack Dynamics for Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing railway vehicle suspension systems experience premature wear and oil leaks due to transverse forces during motion, and increased stiffness that deteriorates vertical damping, when jacks are used to adjust height for platform alignment.
Innovation Solution
A railway vehicle with a jack that transitions between a retracted and deployed configuration, where the second end is free during motion to avoid transverse forces and maintains a constant distance between the car and chassis, using a knuckle joint connection and a blocking system with a power supply to control the jack's position and prevent additional stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the jack is mechanically connected between the car and the bogie to adjust height, then the height adjustment function is improved, but the jack experiences significant transverse forces during motion leading to premature wear and oil leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The jack is designed to dynamically change its connection state: during motion, it remains connected to the car only (first end fixed, second end free) to avoid transverse forces; at stations, it connects to both car and chassis (second end fixed to chassis) to enable height adjustment. This dynamic reconfiguration resolves the contradiction by adapting the connection topology to operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The jack connection system is segmented into two independent connection points: the first end connects to the car, and the second end can selectively connect to either the car or the chassis. This segmentation allows the jack to form different mechanical configurations (car-only connection during motion, car-chassis connection at stations) to simultaneously achieve reliability during motion and height adjustment capability at stations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the jack is mechanically connected between the car and the bogie to adjust height, then the height adjustment function is improved, but the presence of the jack increases the stiffness of the system deteriorating vertical damping
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts its mechanical topology: during motion, the jack connects only to the car, allowing the secondary suspension springs to freely perform vertical damping without jack interference; at stations, the jack connects to both car and chassis, providing height adjustment while the suspension springs continue to damp vibrations. This resolves the contradiction by separating the damping function (during motion) from the height adjustment function (at stations).
3Adaptability or versatility
If the jack remains connected to both car and chassis during motion, then height adjustment is maintained, but transverse forces cause premature wear and oil leaks
Solution Approach 1:
The connection configuration dynamically adapts to operational mode: during motion, the second end of the jack remains free or connected only to the car, eliminating transverse force transmission; at stations, the second end connects to the chassis to enable height adjustment. This dynamic reconfiguration eliminates the harmful transverse forces while preserving height adjustment capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
During motion, the second end of the jack is extracted from the chassis connection, leaving the jack connected only to the car. This extraction removes the jack from the load path of transverse forces generated by bogie-car relative movements, eliminating wear and oil leaks while the vehicle travels between stations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution reduces wear and leaks by minimizing transverse forces on the jack and maintains optimal vertical damping, allowing for efficient height adjustment and stable operation at stations without adding stiffness to the suspension system.
Implementation Method 1
a blocking spring situated between the protuberance and the car, each blocking spring being able to go from a first idle position in which the protuberance cooperates with the wall when the jack is in the retracted configuration
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a railway vehicle comprising a car (14) and a bogie (16). The bogie (14) comprises a chassis (28) and a secondary suspension system (30). The secondary suspension system (30) comprises:a set (34) of springs;a jack (36) comprising two ends (44, 46); anda supply device (38) of the jack (36).The jack (36) is configured to go from a first so-called retracted configuration in which the jack (36) is only connected to the car (14) by the first end (44) to a second so-called deployed configuration in which the jack (36) is also connected to the chassis (18) by the second end (16).The power supply device (38) is configured, in the deployed configuration, to supply the jack (36) so as to move the car (14) away from the chassis (28) or to keep the distance between the car (14) and the chassis (28) constant.