Abstract
Rail vehicles have the particularity in that pluralities of vehicles are operated as a set of connected units. This particularity is to be considered in the crashworthiness design of the coupling end structure of the vehicles in a train unit. In the case of a collision between long trains that are composed by a rigid coupling end structure, a large space for energy absorption in the structure of the cab end of the leading car will be needed. However, there is the possibility that the appropriate energy absorption characteristics of the coupling end can reduce the load of energy absorption at the cab end. Calculations of a collision between train units using a mass-spring model were conducted to study the force-displacement characteristic of a coupling end structure that can absorb more crash energy. The collision scenario applied to the calculation was that of a stationary 8-car train unit colliding with another identical train unit traveling at a speed of 36km/h based on EN15227. The results showed that the deformation of the cab ends in the leading cars can be greatly reduced by adjusting the force displacement characteristics of the coupling end to be lower than the reaction force of the cab end and achieve a progressive profile.
