Open Access
Issue
Wuhan Univ. J. Nat. Sci.
Volume 29, Number 5, October 2024
Page(s) 419 - 429
DOI https://doi.org/10.1051/wujns/2024295419
Published online 20 November 2024

© Wuhan University 2024

Licence Creative CommonsThis is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

0 Introduction

As the operating speed of high-speed trains increases, the issue of hunting instability in train systems becomes increasingly prominent. Hunting motion is an inherent characteristic of train systems. Investigating the causes of hunting motion in trains through research on the nonlinear dynamics of the wheelset system is beneficial for optimizing the design and parameters of trains, thereby improving the overall operational stability, ride comfort, and safety of trains.

In practice, train systems exhibit numerous nonlinear factors[1-3], including nonlinear constraints of wheel-rail geometry, wheel-rail creep theory, and suspension components and so on. From the perspective of hunting stability issues, the wheelset system can represent a typical subsystem of the overall train system's hunting stability characteristics to a considerable extent. Furthermore, the wheelset system has fewer degrees of freedom and parameters, making it amenable to analytical methods for in-depth analysis, aiding in a better understanding of vehicle dynamic response characteristics.

At present, both domestical and international scholars have undertaken significant research to explore the role of the wheelset system in the hunting motion of high-speed trains. These studies hold promising implications for addressing derailment issues caused by instability motion and improving the overall performance of the entire train system. Zhang et al[4] addressed the first passage problem of the wheelset system, the influence of noise intensity on mean first passage time and the sensitivity of the yaw damper to the wheelset system at different operating speeds are analyzed. Guo et al[5] discussed the influence of the nonlinear geometry of the wheel-rail contact on the bifurcation of Hopf and the bifurcation of the limit cycle. The result shows that a larger suspension stiffness would increase the running stability under wheel wear. Li et al[6] proposed an improved railway wheelset system, the chaotic behaviors of the motion of the railway wheelset and the dynamical behaviors of the railway wheelset system under geometric constraint are studied. Xiong et al[7] proposed a method to simultaneously diagnose multiple faults such as axle cracks, wheel flats, wheel out-of-roundness, and their coupling faults in the wheelset system. Miao et al[8] considered the rigid impact model and soft impact model of the railway wheelset system, studying the bifurcation behavior of these two models separately.

However, the role of time delay was not considered in the studies of the above literature. In real situation, the response of the primary suspension of the wheelset system is in place, but it does not reach the corresponding elastic force[9]. In order to be more in line with the actual situation, this article considers the effect of the time delay in the primary suspension on the system, a dynamic model for a time delay wheelset system under Gaussian white noise excitation conditions is established. The combination of theoretical derivations and numerical simulations to discuss the conditions for the occurrence of hunting instability and stochastic bifurcation in the system. The influence of equivalent conicity and time delay on the occurrence of hunting motion instability in wheelset systems is deeply investigated, and the dynamic behavior before and after the occurrence of hunting instability is analyzed, hoping to provide some theoretical value for train safety and design.

1 Model Description

Considering the influences of lateral wheel-rail forces, wheel-rail normal forces, wheel flange forces, and a series of suspension forces on the wheelset system, we establish a nonlinear wheel-rail contact relationship in a dynamic model of the wheelset, as illustrated in Fig.1. The model neglects the vertical motion of the wheelset and the impact of uneven track. The creep force and creep coefficient between the wheel and rail are based on Kaller linear creep theory[10], while the nonlinear wheel-rail contact relationship is represented by a fifth-degree polynomial. The springs exhibit linear elasticity, with the wheelset's gravity stiffness and gravity angle stiffness representing the wheel-rail normal forces.

Thumbnail: Fig. 1 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 1 Model of the wheelset system

Establishing the deterministic motion equations for a wheelset system based on Newton's Second Law yields the following expressions

{ m y ¨ + 2 f 22 V y ˙ + K 1 y y + W λ e b y - 2 f 22 ψ + δ 1 y 3 + δ 2 y 5 = 0 , J ψ ¨ + 2 f 11 b 2 V ψ ˙ + 2 f 11 b λ e r 0 y + ( K 1 x b 0 2 - W b λ e ) ψ = 0 Mathematical equation(1)

Considering the increase in mileage, corresponding wear occurs on both the wheelset tread and rail surface, leading to variations in the equivalent conicity at contact points. The stochastic perturbation associated with the equivalent conicity is considered as Gaussian white noise. Simultaneously, considering that the system response has reached the primary suspension but the elastic force has not reached the required level, we account for the presence of lateral stiffness time delay in the primary suspension. At this point, the system equations transform into

{ m y ¨ + 2 f 22 V y ˙ + K 1 y y ( t - τ ) + ε 1 2 ξ ( t ) y + W λ e b y - 2 f 22 ψ + δ 1 y 3 + δ 2 y 5 = 0 ,   J ψ ¨ + 2 f 11 b 2 V ψ ˙ + 2 f 11 b λ e r 0 y + ( K 1 x b 0 2 - W b λ e ) ψ = 0 Mathematical equation(2)

In the given equations: ξ(t)Mathematical equation represents Gaussian white noise with a mean of 0 and a noise intensity of 2DMathematical equation; mMathematical equation denotes the mass of the wheelset system; yMathematical equation is the lateral displacement of the wheelset; ψMathematical equation signifies the yaw angle of the wheelset; VMathematical equation stands for the forward speed of the wheelset; K1yMathematical equation represents lateral stiffness of the primary suspension; WMathematical equation is the axle load; λeMathematical equation denotes the equivalent conicity; bMathematical equation is half of the lateral displacement of the rolling circle; δ1,δ2Mathematical equation correspond to the nonlinear fitting parameters of the wheel flange force; JMathematical equation is the yaw rotational inertia; f11, f22Mathematical equation represents the longitudinal and lateral creep coefficients of the wheel-rail contact; r0Mathematical equation is the rolling radius of the wheel; K1xMathematical equation signifies longitudinal stiffness of the primary suspension; and b0Mathematical equation is half of the primary yaw spring arm.

2 Derivation Process

2.1 Model Processing

Assuming the equilibrium point of the wheelset system (2) is denoted as (y1*,y2*,y3*,y4*)Mathematical equation, we discuss the dynamic behavior of the wheelset system (2) in the vicinity of the equilibrium point, suppose y=y1*+εx1, y˙=y2*+εx2, ψ=Mathematical equationy3*+εx3, ψ˙=y4*+εx4Mathematical equation. The wheelset system can be expressed as follows

X ˙ = A X + B X ( t - τ ) + F ( X ) Mathematical equation(3)

where X={x1,x2,x3,x4}TMathematical equation

A = ( 0 1 0 0 - a - b V - d 0 0 0 0 1 - e 0 - f - g V ) ,   B = ( 0 0 0 0 - h 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ) ,   F ( X ) = ( 0 - ε 1 2 x 1 ξ ( t ) m + ε ( m 1 x 1 3 + m 2 x 1 5 ) 0 0 ) Mathematical equation

a = W λ e m b ,   c = 2 f 22 m ,   d = - 2 f 22 m ,   e = 2 f 11 b λ e J r 0 ,   f = K 1 x b 0 2 - W b λ e J ,   g = 2 f 11 b 2 J ,   h = K 1 y m ,   m 1 = - δ 1 ε m ,   m 2 = - δ 1 ε 3 m . Mathematical equation

The characteristic equation of the linear part of the wheelset system (3) is expressed as follows:

Δ ( λ , V ) = λ 4 + g + c V λ 3 + ( c g V 2 + f + a + h e - λ τ ) λ 2 + c f + a g + h g e - λ τ V λ + ( a f - d e + h f e - λ τ ) = 0 Mathematical equation(4)

When the speed VMathematical equation reaches the critical speed VcMathematical equation, the characteristic Eq. (4) has a pair of complex conjugate eigenvalues ±iωMathematical equation with zero real parts at the equilibrium point. Additionally, all other eigenvalues of the characteristic Eq. (4) have negative real parts. Substituting λ=iωMathematical equation into the characteristic Eq. (4) yields

( i ω ) 4 + g + c V ( i ω ) 3 + ( c g V 2 + f + a + h e - i ω τ ) ( i ω ) 2 + c f + a g + h g e - i ω τ V ( i ω ) + ( a f - d e + h f e - i ω τ ) = 0 Mathematical equation(5)

After separating the real and imaginary components, the following results can be obtained

( h g V ω ) s i n ω τ + ( h f - h ω 2 ) c o s ω τ = - ω 4 + ( c g V 2 + f + a ) ω 2 ,   ( h g V ω ) c o s ω τ - ( h f - h ω 2 ) s i n ω τ = g + c V ω 3 - c f + a g V ω Mathematical equation(6)

Squaring the two equations of Eq. (6) and summing them, we get

( h g V ω ) 2 + ( h f - h ω 2 ) 2 = ( - ω 4 + ( c g V 2 + f + a ) ω 2 ) 2 + ( g + c V ω 3 - c f + a g V ω ) 2 Mathematical equation(7)

According to the implicit function theorem, differentiating both sides of Eq. (4) with respect to VMathematical equation, we get the transversality condition

( d λ d V ) | λ = i ω = g + c V 2 λ 3 + 2 c g V 3 λ 2 + c f + a g + h g e - λ τ V 2 λ ( 4 λ 3 + [ 3 ( g + c V ) - h τ e - λ τ ] λ 2 + [ 2 ( c g V 2 + f + a + h e - λ τ ) - h g τ e - λ τ V ] λ + c f + a g + h g e - λ τ V - h f τ e - λ τ ) Mathematical equation(8)

2.2 Dimensionality Reduction Processing

Next, we will analyze the stochastic dynamics of the wheelset system (3) near the critical speed V=VcMathematical equation and investigate the hunting stability of the system. Since the solution space of the wheelset system (3) is infinite-dimensional, by mapping the interval [-τ,0]Mathematical equation onto a continuous space function R2Mathematical equation, the wheelset system (3) can be expressed in the following form

X ˙ = L ( φ ( θ ) , V ) + ε Δ f ( φ ( θ ) , V , ε ) ,   L ( φ ( θ ) , V ) = A X + B X ( t - τ ) Mathematical equation(9)

where L(φ(θ),V)Mathematical equation and f(φ(θ),V,ε)Mathematical equation represent the linear and nonlinear parts of the wheelset system (3), respectively.

Let Ψj(s)C¯([0,τ],R2), Φk([-τ,0],R2)Mathematical equation, and define the bilinear operator

< Ψ j ( s ) ,   Φ k ( θ ) > = Ψ j ( s ) Φ k ( θ ) - h - τ 0 Ψ j 2 ( χ + τ ) Φ k 1 ( χ ) d χ ,   j ,   k = 1,2 Mathematical equation(10)

where Ψj2Mathematical equation and Φk1Mathematical equation represent the second element in ΨjMathematical equation and the first element in ΦkMathematical equation, respectively.

When the characteristic value λ=±iωMathematical equation, the corresponding basis function Φ(θ)CMathematical equation of the characteristic Eq. (4) and the associated basis function Ψ(s)C¯Mathematical equation of the adjoint equation are as follows:

Φ ( θ ) = ( c o s ω θ s i n ω θ - ω s i n ω θ ω c o s ω θ b 2 c o s ω θ - c 2 s i n ω θ b 2 s i n ω θ + c 2 c o s ω θ b 3 c o s ω θ - c 3 s i n ω θ b 3 s i n ω θ + c 3 c o s ω θ ) = ( Φ 1 ( θ ) Φ 2 ( θ ) ) T ,   - τ θ 0 , Ψ ( s ) = ( c o s ω s s i n ω s - ω s i n ω s ω c o s ω s b 2 c o s ω s - c 2 s i n ω s b 2 s i n ω s + c 2 c o s ω s b 3 c o s ω s - c 3 s i n ω s b 3 s i n ω s + c 3 c o s ω s ) T = ( Ψ 1 ( s ) Ψ 2 ( s ) ) ,   0 s τ , Mathematical equation(11)

where

b 2 = a + h c o s ω τ - ω 2 d ,   c 2 = c V ω - h s i n ω τ d ,   b 3 = - ω c 2 ,   c 3 = ω b 2 Mathematical equation

Substituting the base function (11) into the bilinear expression (10) yields the following

( < Ψ 1 ( s ) , Φ 1 ( θ ) > < Ψ 1 ( s ) , Φ 2 ( θ ) > < Ψ 2 ( s ) , Φ 1 ( θ ) > < Ψ 2 ( s ) , Φ 2 ( θ ) > ) = ( Ψ , Φ ) n s g = ( a 11 a 12 a 21 a 22 ) Mathematical equation(12)

where

a 11 = 1 + b 2 2 + b 3 2 + h τ ω s i n ω τ 2 ,   a 12 = b 2 c 2 + b 3 c 3 - h ( s i n ω τ 2 - τ ω c o s ω τ 2 ) , a 21 = b 2 c 2 + b 3 c 3 - h ( s i n ω τ 2 + τ ω c o s ω τ 2 ) ,   a 22 = ω 2 + c 2 2 + c 3 2 + h τ ω s i n ω τ 2 . Mathematical equation(13)

Normalize the basis function Ψ(s)Mathematical equation to obtain a new basis function Ψ¯(s)Mathematical equation,

Ψ ¯ ( s ) = ( Ψ ¯ , Φ ) n s g - 1 = ( A 11 A 12 A 13 A 14 A 21 A 22 A 23 A 24 ) ,   0 s τ Mathematical equation(14)

where

A 11 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 ( a 22 c o s ω s - a 12 s i n ω s ) , A 12 ( s ) = - ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 ω ( a 22 s i n ω s + a 12 c o s ω s ) , A 13 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 [ a 22 ( b 2 c o s ω s - c 2 s i n ω s ) - a 12 ( b 2 s i n ω s + c 2 c o s ω s ) ] , A 14 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 [ a 22 ( b 3 c o s ω s - c 3 s i n ω s ) - a 12 ( b 3 s i n ω s + c 3 c o s ω s ) ] , A 21 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 ( - a 21 c o s ω s + a 11 s i n ω s ) , A 22 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 ω ( a 21 s i n ω s + a 11 c o s ω s ) , A 23 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 [ - a 21 ( b 2 c o s ω s - c 2 s i n ω s ) + a 11 ( b 2 s i n ω s + c 2 c o s ω s ) ] , A 24 ( s ) = ( a 11 a 22 - a 12 a 21 ) - 1 [ - a 21 ( b 3 c o s ω s - c 3 s i n ω s ) - a 11 ( b 3 s i n ω s + c 3 c o s ω s ) ] . Mathematical equation(15)

Assuming the unique solution of the system (3) can be represented as xt(ϕ(θ),V,ε)=xtP(ϕ(θ),V,ε)+xtQ(ϕ(θ),V,ε)Mathematical equation, where ϕ(θ)=ϕP(θ)+ϕQ(θ)Mathematical equation lies in the semigroup J(t,β)Mathematical equation and its infinitesimal generator A(θ,V)Mathematical equation, and xtP(ϕ(θ),V,ε)Mathematical equationP,xtQ(ϕ(θ),V,ε)QMathematical equation are the projections onto xt(ϕ(θ),V,ε)Mathematical equation in two subspaces P, QMathematical equation, respectively. According to the relation A(θ,p)Φ(θ)=Φ(θ)BMathematical equation, we computed B=[(0,ω)T,(-ω,0)T]Mathematical equation. The approximate expression for transformation ϕP(θ)=Φ(θ)BCMathematical equation on the central manifold MVC([-τ,0],R2)Mathematical equation and variable changes xtP(ϕ(θ),V,ε)=ϕ(θ)u(t)+xtQ(Mathematical equationϕ(θ),V,ε)Mathematical equation are written as follows:

x 1 ( t ) = u 1 ( t ) ,   x 2 ( t ) = ω u 2 ( t ) , x 3 ( t ) = b 2 u 1 ( t ) + c 2 u 2 ( t ) ,   x 4 ( t ) = b 3 u 1 ( t ) + c 3 u 2 ( t ) . Mathematical equation(16)

The expression form of the system (3) on the central manifold[11] is as follows:

u ˙ 1 ( t ) = ω u 2 ( t ) + ε [ ( m 1 u 1 3 + m 2 u 1 5 ) A 12 ] - ε 1 2 [ A 12 u 1 ( t ) m ] ξ ( t ) ,   u ˙ 2 ( t ) = - ω u 1 ( t ) + ε [ ( m 1 u 1 3 + m 2 u 1 5 ) A 22 ] - ε 1 2 [ A 22 u 1 ( t ) m ] ξ ( t ) Mathematical equation(17)

Introducing a polar coordinate transformation[12]: u1(t)=A(t)cosθ, u2(t)=-A(t)sinθ, θ=ωt+ϕ(t)Mathematical equation. The wheelset system (3) is transformed into an equation concerning the amplitude A(t)Mathematical equation and phase ϕ(t)Mathematical equation, as follows:

{ A ˙ ( t ) = ε [ A 12 ( m 1 A 3 c o s 4 θ + m 2 A 5 c o s 6 θ ) - A 22 ( m 1 A 3 c o s 3 θ s i n θ + m 2 A 5 c o s 5 θ s i n θ ) ] + ε 1 2 A c o s θ - A 12 c o s θ + A 22 s i n θ m ξ ( t ) , φ ˙ ( t ) = - ε [ A 12 ( m 1 A 2 c o s 3 θ s i n θ + m 2 A 4 c o s 5 θ s i n θ ) - A 22 ( m 1 A 2 c o s 4 θ + m 2 A 4 c o s 6 θ ) ] + ε 1 2 c o s θ A 12 s i n θ + A 22 c o s θ m ξ ( t ) . Mathematical equation(18)

According to the stochastic averaging method[13,14], Itô stochastic differential equation for the wheelset system (3) can be derived

d A = m ( A ) d t + σ ( A ) d B ( t ) Mathematical equation(19)

where B(t)Mathematical equation is a Wiener process with unit intensity, while m(A)Mathematical equation and σ(A)Mathematical equation represent the drift and diffusion coefficients of the system (18), respectively.

m ( A ) = μ 1 A + μ 2 A 3 + μ 3 A 5 ,   σ σ T = μ 4 A 2 μ 1 = ( 3 A 12 2 + A 22 2 8 m 2 + A 12 2 + A 22 2 4 m 2 ) π D ,   μ 2 = 3 8 A 12 m 1 ,   μ 3 = 5 16 A 12 m 2 ,   μ 4 = 3 A 12 2 + A 22 2 4 m 2 π D . Mathematical equation(20)

3 Stochastic Stability Analysis

3.1 The Local Stochastic Stability

According to the definition of the Lyapunov exponent, the maximum Lyapunov exponent for the Itô stochastic differential equation corresponding to the wheelset system (3) is calculated as follows

λ = l i m t + 1 t A ( t ) = l i m t + ( A ( t ) ) 1 2 = 1 2 ( m ' ( 0 ) - 1 2 ( σ ' ( 0 ) ) 2 ) = 1 2 ( μ 1 - 1 2 μ 4 ) . Mathematical equation(21)

When μ1-μ4/2<0Mathematical equation, the equilibrium solution of the wheelset system (3) is locally asymptotically stable in a probabilistic sense. Conversely, when μ1-μ4/2>0Mathematical equation, the equilibrium solution of the wheelset (3) is probabilistically locally asymptotically unstable.

3.2 The Global Stochastic Stability

According to the theory of singular boundaries, the right boundary at A=+Mathematical equation is a second-type singular boundary. Analysis of Itô stochastic differential equations yields

α R = 2 , β R = 5 ,   c R = - l i m A + 2 m ( A ) | A | α R - β R σ 2 ( A ) = - 2 μ 3 μ 4 . Mathematical equation(22)

The left boundary at A=0Mathematical equation is a first-type singular boundary. Analysis of Itô stochastic differential equations yields

α L = 2 ,   β L = 1 ,   c L = l i m A 0 2 m ( A ) | A | β L - α L σ 2 ( A ) = 2 μ 1 μ 4 . Mathematical equation(23)

According to the three-exponential method, when m(+)<0Mathematical equation or m(-)>0Mathematical equation, the right boundary A=+Mathematical equation is an entry into the natural boundary. In this case, we only need to consider the left boundary of the Itô stochastic differential equation.

Through analysis, it can be obtained that when cL<1Mathematical equation, the left boundary A=0Mathematical equation is an attractive natural boundary, and the equilibrium solution of the wheelset system is globally asymptotically stable in a probabilistic sense. Conversely, when cL>1Mathematical equation, the left boundary A=0Mathematical equation is a repulsive natural boundary, and the equilibrium solution of the wheel system is globally unstable in a probabilistic sense. In the case of cL=1Mathematical equation, the left boundary A=0Mathematical equation becomes a strict natural boundary, situated at a critical state between repulsion and attraction, where stochastic bifurcations may occur.

4 Stochastic Bifurcation Analysis

4.1 Stochastic D-Bifurcation

The occurrence of stochastic D-bifurcations in the wheelset system can be inferred based on the maximum Lyapunov exponent. When μ4=0Mathematical equation, Itô stochastic differential equation to the wheelset system is a deterministic system that does not bifurcate. Subsequently, we will explore the stochastic D-bifurcation of the wheelset system under the condition μ40Mathematical equation.

In scenario one, when μ2=μ3=0Mathematical equation, the corresponding linear Itô stochastic differential equation to the wheelset system is

d A = μ 1 A d t + ( μ 4 A 2 ) 1 2 d B ( t ) . Mathematical equation(24)

According to the relationship between the Stratonovich stochastic differential equation and the Itô stochastic differential equation, let m(A)=(μ1-μ4/2)A, σ(A)=μ4AMathematical equation, the continuous dynamic system generated by equation (24) is given by

η ( t ) x = x 0 t m ( η ( s ) x ) d s + 0 t σ ( η ( s ) x ) d B ( s ) . Mathematical equation(25)

Eq. (25) is the unique strong solution of Eq. (24) with x as the initial value, where dB(s)Mathematical equation is the stochastic term of the Stratonovich stochastic differential equation[13,14]. When m(0)=0, σ(0)=0Mathematical equation, 0 is as a fixed point for η(t)Mathematical equation. If m(A)Mathematical equation is a bounded function, then when σ(A)0Mathematical equation, the stationary probability density function for all A0Mathematical equation is unique. The FPK (Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov) equation corresponding to amplitude A(t)Mathematical equation is given as follows:

P A = - A ( ( ( μ 1 - 1 2 μ 4 ) A ) P ) + 1 2 2 A 2 ( ( μ 4 A 2 ) 1 2 P ) Mathematical equation(26)

Let P/A=0Mathematical equation, the stationary probability density function of Eq. (26) can be computed as follows:

P ( A ) = C σ 2 ( A ) e x p ( 0 A 2 m ( x ) σ 2 ( x ) d x ) Mathematical equation(27)

where CMathematical equation is the normalization constant, and Eq. (25) has two stationary states: fixed point stationary state and nontrivial stationary state, where wMathematical equation represents the invariant measure of the nontrivial stationary state, and its probability density function is Eq. (27), the invariant measure of the fixed point stationary state is represented by δ0Mathematical equation, and the stationary probability density function is represented by δxMathematical equation. Solving the linear Itô stochastic differential equation (24), we get

A ( t ) = A ( 0 ) e x p ( 0 t ( m ' ( A ) + σ ( A ) σ ' ( A ) 2 ) d x + 0 t σ ' ( A ) d B ) . Mathematical equation(28)

Below, we calculate the maximum Lyapunov exponents concerning the invariant measures δ0Mathematical equation and wMathematical equation. The maximum Lyapunov exponent for system ηMathematical equation with respect to measure ςMathematical equation is defined as follows:

λ η ( ς ) = l i m x + 1 t l n A ( t ) . Mathematical equation(29)

Due to σ(0)=0, σ'(0)=0Mathematical equation, the maximum Lyapunov exponent concerning the invariant measure δ0Mathematical equation is as follows:

λ η ( δ 0 ) = l i m t + 1 t ( l n m ( 0 ) + m ' ( 0 ) 0 t d x + σ ' ( 0 ) 0 t d B A ( x ) = μ 1 - 1 2 μ 4 . Mathematical equation(30)

Substituting Eq. (28) into Eq. (29), we obtain the maximum Lyapunov exponent concerning the invariant measure wMathematical equation

λ η ( w ) = l i m t + 1 t 0 t ( m ' ( A ) + σ ( A ) σ ' ( A ) ) d x = R ( m ' ( A ) + σ ( A ) σ ' ( A ) 2 ) P ( A ) d A = - 2 m ' ( 0 ) R ( m ( A ) σ ( A ) ) 2 P ( A ) d A = - μ 4 3 2 ( μ 1 - μ 4 2 ) e x p ( 2 μ 4 ( μ 1 - μ 4 2 ) ) . Mathematical equation(31)

Let α=μ1-μ4/2Mathematical equation, by analyzing Eq. (30) and Eq. (31), we obtain that when α<0Mathematical equation, the invariant measure δ0Mathematical equation is stable, while the invariant measure wMathematical equation is unstable, when α>0Mathematical equation, the invariant measure δ0Mathematical equation becomes unstable, while the invariant measure wMathematical equation is stable. Consequently, a stochastic D-bifurcation occurs in the wheelset system when α=0Mathematical equation.

In scenario two, when μ20, μ3=0Mathematical equation, let ϕ=-μ2A, μ2<0Mathematical equation, Eq. (19) transforms into

d ϕ = ( ( μ 1 - 1 2 μ 4 ) ϕ - ϕ 3 ) d t + μ 4 1 2 ϕ d B ( s ) . Mathematical equation(32)

When μ4=0Mathematical equation, the system (32) has a deterministic fork bifurcation. When μ40, α<0Mathematical equation, Eq. (32) only has an invariant measure δ0Mathematical equation of the fixed point stationary state, with a probability density function δxMathematical equation. When μ40, α>0Mathematical equation, Eq. (32) has three invariant measures of stationary states: the invariant measure δϕMathematical equation of the stationary state of the fixed point, and the invariant measure wϕ±Mathematical equation of the two nontrivial stationary states. Their probability density functions are as follows

P w + ( ϕ ) = { N w ϕ 2 α μ 4 - 1 e x p ( - ϕ 2 μ 4 ) , ϕ > 0 , 0 , ϕ < 0 , Mathematical equation(33)

P w - ( δ ) = P w + ( - δ ) Mathematical equation(34)

where Nw-1=Γ(α/μ4)μ4-2α/μ4Mathematical equation, the Lyapunov function index for the invariant measure δϕMathematical equation can be obtained from Eq. (29) and Eq. (30) as follows:

λ η ( δ ϕ ) = μ 1 - μ 4 / 2 Mathematical equation(35)

According to the ergodic theorem[15,16], the Lyapunov exponent concerning the invariant measure wϕ±Mathematical equation can be derived from Eq. (31), Eq. (33), and Eq. (35),

λ η ( w ϕ ± ) = - 2 α = - 2 ( μ 1 - μ 4 ) / 2 Mathematical equation(36)

After analyzing Eq. (35) and Eq. (36), it can be inferred that a qualitative change occurs in the dynamic behavior of the wheelset system when α=0Mathematical equation. Consequently, the wheelset system occurs a stochastic D-bifurcation when α=0Mathematical equation.

4.2 P-Bifurcation

Next, the combination of the stationary probability density method and numerical simulation is used to discuss the stochastic P-bifurcation of the wheelset system. FPK equation for the one-dimensional diffusion process of the wheelset system (3)

P t = - A [ ( μ 1 A + μ 2 A 3 + μ 3 A 5 ) P ( A ) ] + 1 2 2 A 2 [ μ 4 A 2 P ( A ) ] Mathematical equation(37)

The initial value of the FPK equation satisfies the condition: P(A,t|A0,t0)δ(A-A0), tt0Mathematical equation, where P(A,t|A0,t0)Mathematical equation is the transition probability density in the diffusion process and the invariant measure of A(t)Mathematical equation is the stationary probability density P(A)Mathematical equation. Let P/t=0Mathematical equation, we get

- A [ ( μ 1 A + μ 2 A 3 + μ 3 A 5 ) P ( A ) ] + 1 2 2 A 2 [ μ 4 A 2 P ( A ) ] = 0 Mathematical equation(38)

Upon solving Eq. (38), the stationary probability density function is obtained:

P ( A ) = C μ 4 A 2 μ 1 μ 4 - 2 e x p ( μ 2 μ 4 A 2 + μ 3 2 μ 4 A 4 ) , Mathematical equation(39)

where C is the normalization constant, such that 0+P(A)dA=1Mathematical equation. Let A=u12+u22Mathematical equation, then the joint probability density function of the system is obtained as follows

P ( u 1 , u 2 ) = C u 4 ( u 1 2 + u 2 2 ) μ 1 μ 4 - 1 e x p [ μ 2 μ 4 ( u 1 2 + u 2 2 ) + μ 3 2 μ 4 ( u 1 2 + u 2 2 ) 2 ] Mathematical equation(40)

5 Numerical Simulation

Selecting parameters[17]m=1 627, J=830, r0=0.46, λe=0.13, W=11 220, K1x=1.96×106, K1y=1.96×106, f11=1.5×106,Mathematical equationf22=1.5×106, b=1.02, δ1=-1.6×1011, δ2=1.6×1015, ε=1.0×10-17Mathematical equation. When the time delay is set as τ=0.87Mathematical equation and the noise intensity is D=0.25Mathematical equation, we vary the speed VMathematical equation and observe the occurrence of stochastic P-bifurcation in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3(a).

Thumbnail: Fig. 2 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 2 Joint probability density function diagram and stochastic phase diagram at different speeds

Thumbnail: Fig. 3 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 3 Stationary probability density function diagram when (a) τ=0.87, (b) V=60

In Fig. 2(a), the joint probability density function exhibits a "pointed unimodal-shaped" and attains its maximum value at the equilibrium point. As the position moves away from the origin, the probability density values monotonically decrease. At this moment, the wheelset system is probabilistically stable at the equilibrium point. From Fig. 2(a) to Fig. 2(b), the joint probability density function transforms into an "unimodal-shaped" with gradually decreasing peak values and a relatively gentle slope, indicating that it is at the critical point of a stochastic P-bifurcation. The phase diagram reveals that the system converges around the equilibrium point and forms a central attractor domain. With increasing speed, the central attractor domain gradually expands, and the number of stationary probability limit cycles is gradually increasing. This suggests that at higher speeds, the range of possible non-equilibrium points for the system becomes larger. From Fig. 2(b) to Fig. 2(c), the joint probability density function takes on a "crater-shaped", with noticeably reduced peak values. In the phase diagram, the original central attractor domain disperses, and the chromaticity value sharply decreases at the central position. Within numerous limit cycles, a specific limit cycle band with higher chromaticity than its surrounding area emerges, transforming the central attractor domain into a probabilistically stable limit cycle attractor domain. The limit cycle with the highest chromaticity is the most likely steady position after the system becomes unstable. This indicates that the system occurs a stochastic P-bifurcation. The wheelset system no longer tends towards the equilibrium point but converges with a relatively high probability towards a probabilistically stable limit cycle, and it shows that the wheelset system is unstable in the sense of probability at the equilibrium point and hunting movement occurs. As the running speed increases, the "crater-shaped" joint probability density becomes larger, and the peak values decrease further, indicating an increasing amplitude of the hunting motion in the system.

When the speed VMathematical equation is 60 and the noise intensity DMathematical equation is 0.25, with other parameters held constant, we vary the time delay τMathematical equation and observe the occurrence of stochastic P-bifurcation in Fig. 3(b) and Fig. 4.

Thumbnail: Fig. 4 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 4 Joint probability density function diagram and stochastic phase diagram at different time delays

From Fig. 4(a), the joint probability density function exhibits a "pointed unimodal-shaped", reaching its maximum at the equilibrium point. As the amplitude increases, the probability density function monotonically decreases, indicating that the wheelset system converges at the equilibrium point with a relatively high probability. The probability of staying at non-equilibrium points is relatively small. This suggests that the system is asymptotically stable in a probabilistic sense at the equilibrium point. From Fig. 4(a) to Fig. 4(b), the probability density function changes from "pointed unimodal-shaped" to "unimodal-shaped". The peak value of the probability density function P(A)Mathematical equation gradually decreases compared with Fig. 4(a), indicating that it is at the critical point of stochastic P-bifurcation. However, with increasing speed, the probability of non-equilibrium positions gradually increases, which does not guarantee the stability of the wheelset system in actual operation. From Fig. 4(b) to Fig. 4(c), the probability density function of the wheelset system changes from "unimodal-shaped" to "crater-shaped", indicating the wheelset system occurs a stochastic P-bifurcation. The position of the stationary state transitions from the equilibrium point to the top of the "crater". From Fig. 4(c), it can be seen that the peak value of the equilibrium position is reduced, and the probability of high amplitude gradually increases. At this point, the wheelset system (3) will generate periodic solutions, and the likelihood of vibration is greater. The wheelset system (3) will gradually occur hunting instability movement.

The influence of noise intensity on stationary probability density is further discussed, the fixed speed VMathematical equation is 60, other parameters remain unchanged, the noise intensity DMathematical equation is changed, and the change of stationary probability density of the system is observed.

It is observed that the trend of stationary probability density does not change from Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 5(b). As the noise intensity increases, the peak gradually decreases simultaneously, the peak's position shifted towards higher amplitudes, and the probability density of low amplitudes decreased gradually, while that of high amplitudes increased. This observation suggests that in the occurrence of hunting instability in the wheelset system, the greater the noise intensity, the greater the amplitude of the hunting motion, ultimately leading to system collapse and train accidents.

Thumbnail: Fig. 5 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 5 Stationary probability density function at different noise intensity when (a) τ=0.808 4, (b) τ=0.82

Setting parameters τ=0.001, D=0.46, and keeping other parameters constant, the phase diagrams of the wheelset system at various running speeds are shown in Fig. 6. In Fig. 6(a), it can be observed that, with the increase in running time, the phase diagram trajectory gradually tends to the equilibrium point. It indicates that the wheelset system eventually converges to an equilibrium position when V=70.

Thumbnail: Fig. 6 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 6 Phase diagram of wheelset system at different speeds

However, as the running speed continues to increase, the wheelset system no longer converges to an equilibrium position but instead converges to a stable limit cycle, with a relatively small amplitude, as illustrated in Fig. 6(b) and Fig. 6(c). It means that the system is in a relatively stable hunting movement at this time. According to this trend, with the continuous increase in running speed, the lateral displacement of the wheels exceeds the flange gap, posing a risk of derailment.

A comparison between Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 7(b), as well as Fig. 8(a) and Fig. 8(b), reveals that the lateral displacement of the wheelset system is influenced by time delay. A smaller time delay results in a higher critical bifurcation speed and a reduced likelihood of occurring hunting instability. Conversely, a larger time delay increases the risk of occurring hunting instability. The effect of the equivalent conicity on the wheelset system is similar to the effect of the time delay on the wheelset system. As observed in the comparison between Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 8(a), and Fig. 7(b) and Fig. 8(b), a smaller equivalent conicity results in a reduced likelihood of occurring hunting instability, while a larger equivalent conicity amplifies the risk. These findings indicate that appropriate reducing of the time delay and equivalent conicity can reduce the likelihood of occurring hunting instability in the wheelset system, ensuring a safer operation of the train.

Thumbnail: Fig. 7 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 7 Lateral displacement time history diagram at different speeds when λeMathematical equation=0.13

Thumbnail: Fig. 8 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 8 Lateral displacement time history diagram at different speeds when λeMathematical equation=0.15

6 Conclusion

The article employs the central manifold theorem and stochastic averaging method to analytically compute a nonlinear stochastic time-delayed wheelset system and subsequently analyze its dynamic behavior. The main results and conclusions are summarized as follows:

1) The stochastic stability of the given wheelset system is analyzed theoretically, and the local and global stability of the nonlinear stochastic delayed wheelset system is discussed using the maximum Lyapunov exponential method and the singular boundary theory.

2) Combining the stationary probability density method with numerical simulation, the types and conditions of stochastic bifurcations in the wheelset system are analyzed. The analysis reveals that variations in speed and time delay will induce stochastic P-bifurcations, while variations in noise intensity do not lead to such occurrences.

3) The impact of parameters in the nonlinear stochastic delayed wheelset system on the hunting stability is elucidated. Analysis of the time history diagram and phase diagram indicates that both the time delay and the equivalent conicity influence the nonlinear critical speed of the wheelset system. The nonlinear critical speed gradually increases with the reduction of the time delay and the equivalent conicity. Appropriate reducing of the time delay and the equivalent conicity can enhance the nonlinear critical speed of the train, reduce the likelihood of hunting instability in the wheelset system, and improve the safety and comfort of train operations.

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All Figures

Thumbnail: Fig. 1 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 1 Model of the wheelset system
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 2 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 2 Joint probability density function diagram and stochastic phase diagram at different speeds
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 3 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 3 Stationary probability density function diagram when (a) τ=0.87, (b) V=60
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 4 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 4 Joint probability density function diagram and stochastic phase diagram at different time delays
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 5 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 5 Stationary probability density function at different noise intensity when (a) τ=0.808 4, (b) τ=0.82
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 6 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 6 Phase diagram of wheelset system at different speeds
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 7 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 7 Lateral displacement time history diagram at different speeds when λeMathematical equation=0.13
In the text
Thumbnail: Fig. 8 Refer to the following caption and surrounding text. Fig. 8 Lateral displacement time history diagram at different speeds when λeMathematical equation=0.15
In the text

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