Dynamic analysis of vehicle-track interface under train collision using multi-body dynamics

A three-dimensional non-linear rigid body model has been developed for the investigation of the crashworthiness of a passenger train using the multi-body dynamics method. This model refers to a typical design of passenger cars and train constructs commonly used in Australia. The Crash Energy Management (CEM) system, consisting of high energy and low energy crush zones of the cars, and the train constructs are also illustrated in this paper. The model is successfully applied to study the wheel-rail interaction and the derailments, subjected to two major collision scenarios, namely the train frontal collision and lateral collision. It was found that although there is CEM design on the train models, the higher crash energy/speed can still induce the loss of wheel-rail contact and result in derailments within 110ms.