An Investigation on Dynamic Characteristics of the Straddle-Type Monorail System under Spatial Alignment

Abstract

Spatial alignment is a key feature in the design of the straddle-type monorail system (STM), which greatly affects the dynamic characteristics of the STM system. Considering the shear and torsional deformation of the track beam, a new coupling dynamic model of the STM system is established to investigate the dynamic characteristics under spatial alignment. The running safety and the vibration stability of the STM system under different spatial alignments are studied, and the optimal distance between the slope-changing point and the straight-slowing point is determined. Results show that the running safety and vibration stability indices increase when the curve radius decreases and the longitudinal slope gradient soars, and the vibration response of the vehicle is more obvious when the slope-changing points coincide with the transition curve of the track beam compared with that the straight-slowing points do not coincide with the slope-changing points. From the view of running safety and vibration stability, the slope-changing points should not coincide with the transition curve of the track beam, especially with the straight-slowing points. The proposed method can be adopted in the safety design and vibration control of the STM system.