Frequency domain vibration characteristics of a vehicle-track structure based on spectral element method

Based on the spectral element method, frequency domain vibration model of avehicle-track structure was established. Its track structure part was modeled as a three-layer Timoshenko beam, and its vehicle part was considered as a whole vehicle model. Lagrange equation was adopted to realize coupling between vehicle and track. The virtual excitation method was used to model track irregularity as a virtual load. By solving the spectral element dynamic equation of the vehicle-track structure, its frequency domain vibration characteristics were obtained. The results showed that the first, second and fourth order natural vibration peaks of rail, track plate and base plate are caused by natural vibrations of car body, bogie and wheel, respectively; other vibration peaks of the whole structure system are caused by natural vibrations of its track structure part; vibration energy of rail, track plate and base plate is distributed in a wider frequency range; at the place with a distance of 2.5 m away from one side of end wheelset, rail vibrations within the frequency range of 1-800 Hz rapidly decay, while rail vibrations with frequency being larger than 800 Hz decay slowly; at the place with a distance of 18 m away from one side of end wheelset, the attenuation of rail vibrations within the frequency range of 25-1 171 Hz is basically steady; at the place with a distance of 20.5 m away from one side of end wheelset, rail vibrations with frequency being less 25 Hz decay rapidly with increase in distance from end wheelset, while rail vibrations with frequency being larger than 1 171 Hz decay slowly. © 2021, Editorial Office of Journal of Vibration and Shock. All right reserved.