Method of experimental determination of the effective area of a pneumatic spring of high-speed rolling stock

The object of research is a pneumatic spring of high-speed rolling stock of the railway. The method of experimental static testing of a pneumatic spring of high-speed rolling stock is presented. Based on experimental tests, the “force-strain” dependences of a pneumatic spring are obtained when the pressure gauge in the pneumatic spring changes from 2.5 atm up to 5.0 atm. Using a thermodynamic model, a quadratic equation is found to determine the effective area of a pneumatic spring. It is established that when the pressure gauge in the pneumatic spring changes from 2.5 atm up to 5.0 atm the effective area of the pneumatic spring varies from 0.231 m 2 to 0.306 m 2 . The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time, on the basis of static experiments, the change in the effective area of the pneumatic spring of high-speed rolling stock depending on the value of the gauge pressure in the spring was established. This will make it possible to determine the forces acting on the pneumatic spring in different operating conditions, ensuring the required level of safety of rolling stock.