International benchmarking of longitudinal train dynamics simulators: results

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of the International Benchmarking of Longitudinal Train Dynamics Simulators which involved participation of nine simulators (TABLDSS, UM, CRE-LTS, TDEAS, PoliTo, TsDyn, CARS, BODYSIM and VOCO) from six countries. Longitudinal train dynamics results and computing time of four simulation cases are presented and compared. The results show that all simulators had basic agreement in simulations of locomotive forces, resistance forces and track gradients. The major differences among different simulators lie in the draft gear models. TABLDSS, UM, CRE-LTS, TDEAS, TsDyn and CARS had general agreement in terms of the in-train forces; minor differences exist as reflections of draft gear model variations. In-train force oscillations were observed in VOCO due to the introduction of wheel–rail contact. In-train force instabilities were sometimes observed in PoliTo and BODYSIM due to the velocity controlled transitional characteristics which could have generated unreasonable transitional stiffness. Regarding computing time per train operational second, the following list is in order of increasing computing speed: VOCO, TsDyn, PoliTO, CARS, BODYSIM, UM, TDEAS, CRE-LTS and TABLDSS (fastest); all simulators except VOCO, TsDyn and PoliTo achieved faster speeds than real-time simulations. Similarly, regarding computing time per integration step, the computing speeds in order are: CRE-LTS, VOCO, CARS, TsDyn, UM, TABLDSS and TDEAS (fastest).

KEYWORDS:

• Longitudinal train dynamics
• simulators
• simulation results
• international benchmarking

Acknowledgements

The organisers would like to thank all participants of the International Benchmarking of Longitudinal Train Dynamics Simulators for their support over the benchmark and their time to conduct the simulations and prepare the results.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Qing Wu http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9407-5617

Maksym Spiryagin http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1197-898X

Colin Cole http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8840-7136

Gang Guo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-698X

Nico Burgelman http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4038-8364