Structure Noise Performance Analysis and Optimization Research on a Low-Floor Gearbox

With the rail vehicle industry development and increasing request to the riding comfort, to reduce the structure vibration and noise caused by the gearbox is increasingly valued. Multibody dynamics method is proved to be very effective to structure optimization for noise control in gearbox design process. This paper aims to find an optimization way for the gearbox structure to increase the structure noise performance. Initially gear shafts and the casing were discretized using the finite element method, subsequently the multi-flexible body of low floor gearbox was established in the SIMPACK which considering the time-varying mesh stiffness and backlash, bearings were modelled via radial, axial and rotational stiffness elements, then the multi-flexible body dynamic response were analyzed and the structure noise was predicted. Finally, optimization schemes, in terms of gear modification and structure improvement, were proposed to improve the structure noise performance.