Vampire Vehicle Dynamics Simulation

Vampire Vehicle Dynamics Simulation

Introduction

The dynamic behaviour of railway vehicles is one of the fundamental considerations for any railway operation.  This dynamics affects vehicle safety and derailment resistance, vehicle ride comfort, wheel/rail wear and rolling contact fatigue, vehicle gauging and ongoing damage to infrastructure.

DeltaRail undertakes advanced modelling and analysis work for customers, as well as supporting the industry through the development of railway standards.

Key Features

Vampire is DeltaRail's world-renowned railway vehicle dynamics simulation package that enables the user to build a dynamic model of almost any rail vehicle.  Once the model has been appropriately validated, its dynamic behaviour can be evaluated using real measured track geometry, or artificially generated track.  Vampire can be used to investigate particular aspects of behaviour, such as bogie rotation/torsion testing for example.

DeltaRail's vehicle dynamics experts are amongst the most advanced Vampire users in the world and push the envelope of what can be achieved using the software.

Vampire provides:

• Highly automated processes to undertake complex analysis.
• Advanced modelling and analysis techniques to investigate emerging issues such as Rolling contact fatigue (RCF).
• Modelling of track and infrastructure, including cutting edge analysis of switch and crossing designs.
• Advanced vehicle models, from on-track plant with complex inter-vehicle connections, to light rail applications with independently rotating wheels.
• Dynamic simulation that reduces the amount of work and cost involved in demonstrating compliance of new vehicles.
• The ability to carry out comprehensive wheel/rail interface studies.
• Vehicle dynamic simulations to investigate derailments.

Benefits

• Increased safety and derailment resistance.
• Improved passenger comfort.
• Helps to get vehicle tests right, first time, saving on very significant testing costs.
• Reduced Infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance costs through improved design.