Vibrations analysis of bogie’s axle from an electric locomotive class 43

Abstract

Reliability and maintenance play an important role in the field of rail vehicle systems. In order to be reliable, this type of transport needs continuous monitoring and regular maintenance. Regarding requested repair and maintenance interventions in relation to the probability of failure for each component, assembly or subassembly, additional information could be taken by data acquisition from sensors fitted to the locomotive bogies. The influence of the rail pattern configuration and the asymmetry of the positioning of both the traction motors and the gearbox on the amplitude and frequency of the introduced vibrations is considered. Fast and robust online signal processing algorithms are essential for designing a smart device. In this way, maintenance models can be created based on the state of the systems and integrated platforms can be produced in order to improve the diagnosis and expertise of a maintenance program. The paper presents the method of determining the vibrations induced by various causes at one of the axles of the electric locomotive class 43, of 3400 kW (4620 hp), focusing on rolling bearings fault frequencies. Further research will aim to detect the other possible sources of vibrations transmitted at the bogie’s axle.