Fundamental Study on the Effect of High-frequency Vibration in the Vertical and Lateral Directions on Ride Comfort

Abstract

To develop a more suitable method of evaluating the ride comfort of railway vehicles, including high-speed trains, a fundamental study was conducted on passenger sensitivity to various frequencies of vibration with respect to ride comfort. Experiments were performed on 54 subjects using an electrodynamic vibration system that can generate vibrations in the frequency range of 1 to 80 Hz in the vertical and lateral directions. The results of the experiments indicated that the subjects tended to experience greater discomfort when exposed to high-frequency vibrations than presumed by Japan's conventional Ride Comfort Level assessment method.