A co-simulation approach for heavy haul long distance locomotive-track simulation studies

• Published in: Vehicle system dynamics Vol. 57; no. 9; pp. 1363 - 1380
• Main Authors: Spiryagin, Maksym, Persson, Ingemar, Wu, Qing, Bosomworth, Christopher, Wolfs, Peter, Cole, Colin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 02.09.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Automotive parts; co-simulation; Computer simulation; Data exchange; Gensys; mechatronic system; multibody simulation; Multibody systems; shared library; SimPowerSystems; Simulation; Simulink; Software; TCP/IP (protocol); traction control; Traction control systems; Warranties
• ISSN: 0042-3114; 1744-5159
• DOI: 10.1080/00423114.2018.1504088

The operation of heavy haul high adhesion locomotives on the long distance track from mines to ports is a subject of recent track damage studies. Such studies require the introduction of a traction power system for each locomotive running in the heavy haul train followed by consideration of the whole system developed as a complex mechatronic model. It is nowadays common to use co-simulation for the creation of mechatronic models. This paper introduces an approach which can be applicable for a whole train simulation and is based on the combination of two types of software - a multibody simulation package for the mechanical model of a heavy haul locomotive and tools for simulation of traction power systems. This paper describes the integration of a shared library, generated by means of Simulink Code Generation, in Gensys multibody software for the co-simulation process. The validation of the newly developed approach has been performed by means of the simulation of both simplified and full traction control systems for a heavy haul locomotive running on straight track with the same scenarios previously used for the existing co-simulation approach based on a TCP/IP data exchange interface. Validation of the newly developed approach has also been performed with longitudinal train dynamics considered.