A RAILWAY CAR ON A FERRY: IMPACT OF SEA WAVE

Abstract

The development of foreign economic relations between Europe and Asia promotes the establishment and operation of combined transport systems. The most promising among them are considered piggyback and container transportation. In countries with access to the sea area, ferry transportation has found a successful application. The process of loading of bearing structures of car bodies when they move on rail ferries by sea requires special attention, as the dynamic characteristics, which are typical of this type of combined transportation, significantly differ from the normal operating characteristics on main lines.

The statistics of damage of cars during ferry transportation in the Black Sea area show that each year about 10% of the units of rolling stock used in international rail and water transportation require repair with uncoupling. This is primarily due to the lack of structural adaptation of car bodies to their fastening on the decks of car ferries and increased loads influencing them during transportation in terms of sea waves.

The disadvantage of usually applied techniques of research on the conditions of freight transportation using car ferries is inability to account for wave angle with its disturbing influence relative to bodies of car ferries as well as for wind load on surface projection of a ferry with cars placed on its upper deck. The likelihood of moving of a car body during a sea wave is also disregarded.

The objective of the author is to present results of research on dynamics of bodies of freight cars during transportation on car ferries in confused sea with account of different wave angles in relation to the body of the car, using mathematical modeling, analysis, comparative method. The author presents the results of studies taking into consideration main types of vibration motion of a railway car at confused sea, which influence strength and stability of the body structure, located on the upper deck of the ferry. Since the revealed values of inertial loads that act on the bodies of cars for transportation of rolling stock on car ferries exceed operating loads on main routes, it is necessary to improve bearing car structures to ensure their secure fixing to the ferry decks.