A ride quality evaluation of a semi-active railway vehicle suspension system with MR damper: Railway field tests

This work presents experimental assessment of the improvements to the horizontal ride quality of a railway vehicle equipped with a semi-active magneto-rheological (MR) suspension system. The assessment includes the development of a mathematical model and magnetic circuit analysis of the MR damper, the design and manufacture of MR damper, and field test on the railway. After evaluating the field-dependent damping force characteristics, the conventional passive dampers of the operational railway vehicle are replaced with the MR dampers to evaluate horizontal dynamic characteristics that directly indicates the ride quality of the railway vehicle. Various sensors are installed in the vehicle and a skyhook controller with semi-active condition is implemented to produce an appropriate input current for the generation of the desired damping force. Three periods of testing are undertaken on the railway bridge at 120 km/h and the measured data of acceleration level are recoded and presented. It is demonstrated from the measured results that the vibration can be effectively controlled by the proposed semi-active MR suspension system associated with the skyhook controller. Finally, from the vibration control responses the horizontal ride quality of railway vehicle is evaluated and presented in frequency domain.