ANALYSIS OF THE TRACTION WHEEL TORQUE OF THE STRADDLE MONORAIL NEGOTIATING A CURVED TRACK USING THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Bogie is an important component in monorail train that determine the train curving radius and the load capacity. This paper analyses the traction wheel torque of a monorail train which passes through a curved track. A numerical analysis was performed using Simwise4D commercial software. Two new straddle-type of monorail bogie models were prepared for the simulations; namely, the UTM100 model, which is equipped with stabiliser wheels mounted between the two steering wheels, and the UTM125 model, which is equipped with stabiliser wheels mounted parallel to the steering wheels. The train and its trajectory were modelled as a multi-body system. The trajectory was modelled in a horizontal plane with various curve radiuses of 40 to 150 m. The range of motion speeds was selected as 20 to 60 km/h. The results indicate that the traction wheel torque obtained with the UTM125 bogie is generally smaller than that obtained with the UTM100 bogie. The torque differences were substantial when the train negotiated a track with a small radius of curvature, but they were smaller for a large radius. The resulting torque performance can be used as an initial consideration when selecting a monorail bogie model.