Transient pressure and flow rate measurement of pneumatic power supply line in Shinkansen: Examination of unsteady characteristics in pneumatic supply system by experiment

A pneumatic system is used in a railway vehicle in a lot of elements such as the brake, suspension, and doors. However, the design of a pneumatic system for a railway vehicle was decided so far by experience, and evaluation regarding the unsteady characteristic of a pneumatic system had not yet been done. In a SHINKANSEN railway vehicle, the active suspension is used to improve the riding comfort at high-speed operation. However, examination of the unsteady characteristic of a fully active suspension is insufficient. In this study, we measured pressure and flow rate of the active suspension pneumatic system of a SHINKANSEN railway vehicle in real time, and verified the validity of that system design. To obtain knowledge for promotion of efficiency and cost reduction, the pneumatic system was modeled and simulated. The pressure pulsation of the pipe was simulated by changing the pipe diameter and the tank capacity.