Power regeneration in the primary suspension of a railway vehicle

This paper presents an assessment of the potential for the use of power regenerating dampers (PRDs) in railway vehicle primary suspension systems equipped with the ‘Hybrid Mode’ and ‘Replace Mode’, and the evaluation of the potential/recoverable power that can be obtained. The power regenerating damper is configured as a hydraulic-electromagnetic based damper. Implications for ride comfort and running safety are also commented for investigating the performance of the suspension system. Several case studies of generic railway vehicle primary suspension systems are modelled and configured to include a power regenerating damper with two different configuration modes. Simulations are then carried out on track with typical irregularities for a generic UK passenger vehicle. The performance of the modified vehicle including regenerated power, ride comfort and running safety is evaluated. Analysis of key influencing factors are also carried out to examine their effects on power capability, ride comfort and running safety to guide the primary suspension design/specification.