Dynamics of Railway Vehicles and Rail/Wheel Contact

In these notes the fundamentals of the mechanics of rail/wheel contact and deterministic vehicle dynamics is explained. Chapter 1 describes the kinematics and dynamics of rail/wheel contact. Chapter 2 explains why vehicle dynamics must be treated as a nonlinear dynamic problem and how the model problem must be formulated. Chapters 3 and 4 deal with the theory of nonlinear parameter dependent dynamic systems in general, and chapter 5 yields the proof that the theory also applies to the high-dimensional vehicle dynamic problems. In chapter 6 the concept of non-smooth systems is introduced and some of the most important dynamic effects on vehicle dynamic problems are described. In chapter 7 characteristic features of railway vehicle dynamics are described, and in chapter 8 recommendations are presented for the numerical handling that is necessary for the investigation of vehicle dynamic problems. The notes end with a guide to vehicle system dynamics and 47 literature references.