An approach for simulating the air brake system of long freight trains based on fluid dynamics

Air brake systems are critical equipment for railway trains, which affects the running safety of the trains significantly. To study air braking characteristics of long freight trains , an approach for simulating air brake systems based on fluid dynamics theory was proposed. The structures and working mechanisms of locomotive and wagon air brakes are introduced, and mathematical models of the pipes, brake valves, reservoirs or chambers, cylinders, etc., are presented. Besides, the dynamic motions of parts in the main valve are considered. The simulation model of the whole air brake system is then formulated, and the solving method based on the finite-difference method is used. New efficient pipe boundary conditions without iterations are developed for brake pipes and branch pipes, which can achieve higher computational efficiency. The proposed approach for simulating the air brake system is validated by comparing with published measured data. Simulation results of different train formations indicate that models that consider the dynamic behavior of brake pipes are recommended for predicting the characteristics of long trains under service braking conditions.