Analysis of suspension redundancy performance for frame-type maglev vehicle

A frame-type maglev vehicle model featuring an integral suspension frame and a design speed of 160 kilometers per hour has been designed by a train manufacturer as an upgrade to medium-low speed maglev trains, enhancing operational safety and reliability. This paper focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of suspension redundancy in this vehicle model. A vehicle dynamics model was established based on Simpack multi-body dynamics software to analyze the dynamic characteristics in single point suspension electromagnet failure scenarios. The study compared the effects of electromagnet failures at various speeds and positions on riding stability. Additionally, vibration responses to single point electromagnet failures were investigated with different series configurations of coil connections. The results show that, under single electromagnet failures, all vehicle indicators exhibit sudden changes. The lateral stability of the vehicle body under failure conditions did not change significantly across different speeds, remaining within the excellent range. Although vertical stability increased with higher speeds under failure conditions, it still remained at an excellent level even at 100 km/h. The position of electromagnet failures had little impact on vehicle stability. The vertical displacement of the air spring and the vibration acceleration of the suspension module were significantly reduced by implementing a vibration reduction measure that involved connecting coils at the first and third positions in series, which leads to the mitigated overturning effect of the electromagnets.