Abstract
Independently rotating wheels are usually used in LRVs so that passengers can get on and off it easily. LRVs have high risk of derailment on tight curve sections existing in LRT because independently rotating wheels give few self-steering ability to LRVs. In order to smoothly negotiate tight curve sections, LRVs need high self-steering ability. In addition, they also need high running stability for its operation around urban area. Independently rotating wheels with negative tread conicity (negative tread IRW) are proposed as wheel design to get high self-steering ability. It has wheels with negative tread gradient and gives high self-steering ability to LRV by using outwardly gravitational restoring forces. In previous research, it is confirmed experimentally that a LRV with negative tread IRW can run on tight curve section smoothly. On the other hand, in another previous research, it is confirmed that a LRV with negative tread IRW causes unstable oscillation in high speed running. In this research, independently rotating wheels with oblique axle (oblique axle IRW) is proposed to improve running stability of negative tread IRW. Oblique axle IRW can get outwardly gravitational restoring forces with camber angle of wheels. In addition, it has few tread gradients. This paper clarifies that improvement effect of running stability on LRV by use of oblique axle IRW with numerical analysis.
