Development support for a high-speed bogie family for EMU and DMU vehicles
Project tasks
- Rough and detailed design assessment
- FEA of motor and Jacobs bogies
- Running dynamics simulations incl. crosswind effects for EMU and DMU
- Noise analysis
- Torsional vibration analysis of a wheelset with motor and gear
Our approach
The customer had already developed bogies for a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) for an end customer in the Czech Republic. These designs formed the basis of a new bogie family intended for use across a range of Multiple Unit variants.
The vehicles were intended for high-speed operation, resulting in increased demands on running dynamics, structural strength, vibration behaviour, and noise performance. The trains are articulated and equipped with Jacobs bogies, with the objective of applying a common Jacobs bogie design across all vehicle variants. For powered bogies, the design requirements differ between DMU and Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) applications. In the DMU configuration, the motor bogie features a cardan shaft and no electric traction motors, resulting in a fundamentally different design. This DMU motor bogie was intended to serve as the base concept for the entire bogie family and therefore required detailed technical assessment and validation.
The project objective was to evaluate the existing bogie designs, identify improvement potential, and confirm their suitability as a common platform for both EMU and DMU vehicle variants.
PROSE first assessed the DMU bogie designs developed by the customer to identify optimisation potential in the base design. This was followed by a comprehensive and systematic analysis of motor bogies and Jacobs bogies.
Our approach combined Finite Element Analysis (FEA), running dynamics simulations for both EMU and DMU configurations, including crosswind effects relevant for high-speed operation, as well as noise analyses. In addition, a detailed torsional vibration analysis of a wheelset with motor and gearbox was carried out. Close collaboration with the customer ensured that all analyses were aligned with project requirements and practical design constraints.
Customer benefit
By working with PROSE, the customer benefited from independent expertise in bogie design. Our broad experience across the railway industry enabled the structured application of proven best practices to be applied effectively.
An interdisciplinary engineering approach, combined with our independent role, enabled a holistic and objective evaluation of the bogie designs. PROSE’s specialised competence in torsional vibration analysis provided additional confidence in the design and validation of drivetrain components.
This comprehensive assessment supported the development of a robust and scalable bogie platform, while reducing technical and approval-related risks at an early project stage.
