Stiffness of Coupling Connection and Bearing Support for High-Speed Maglev Guideways

Abstract

Coupling connections and bearing supports have been widely used in high-speed maglev guideways. Accurate identification of their mechanical properties is necessary for guideway design and research. This paper presents an approach to estimate the rotational stiffness of the coupling connection and the vertical stiffness of the bearing support of maglev guideways. First, the dynamic properties of the guideway were identified from the measured data using the operational modal analysis method. Then, a finite-element (FE) model was established to analyze the influence of the stiffnesses on the dynamic performance of the guideway. The practical stiffnesses were estimated by using the presented model-updating method and sensitivity study. The accuracy of this approach was further investigated by a comparison between the predicted and measured guideway responses. Finally, a parametric analysis was conducted to study the effect of the stiffnesses on the dynamic responses of the train-guideway system. The results indicate that the stiffnesses have an important influence on the dynamic responses and considering them in the simulation of the maglev train-guideway system can improve the prediction accuracy. Thus, for the accuracy of the design and research of the maglev guideway, these practical stiffnesses should not be ignored.