ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: In the present work, the problem of the wheel-rail contact forces measurement is analysed with a particular focus on the dynamometric wheelset method. In previous works, the definition of the optimal measurement set required for a consistent estimation of the forces is defined, highlighting the need of six independent measurement sections for the estimations of the vertical and lateral forces. Anyway, due for example to a sensor damaging, the possibility to obtain the optimal estimation can be compromised. It is indeed important to derive a method for the measurement of the forces also in case of degraded conditions of the dynamometric wheelset in order to increase the reliability of the measuring system. By means of a proper partitioning of the calibration test-plan, it is possible to achieve a series of calibration matrices (models) for a reduced measurement set, each one suitable for a specific working condition. In this work, a method based on the Interactive Multiple Model theory is proposed to properly recognise the working condition of the dynamometric wheelset and to combine the different models in order to improve the accuracy of the estimation. The effectiveness of the method is tested by means of quasi-static tests performed on a full-scale dedicated test-rig highlighting the possibility to increase the performances of a non-optimally instrumented wheelset.
