Modal vibration characteristics of flexural vibrations in railway vehicle carbodies

This paper presents modal properties of carbody flexural vibrations in several types of railway vehicles widely used in Japan. Firstly, the experimental procedure and the modal analysis method used here, which is based on a linear prediction model (LPM), are described. Then vibration measurement test results for following three types of railway vehicles which have different structural features are presented; (a) a Shinkansen vehicle, (b) an express type vehicle and (c) a commuter type vehicle. This paper focuses how those structural differences affect on the modal vibration characteristics of carbody. Moreover, the authors compare the cases for complete carbody and carbody shell alone in order to examine how the underfloor equipments, inner fixtures and service equipments affect on the modal vibration properties. © Civil-Comp Press, 2012.