Numerical model for distributors of railway vehicles equipped with composite blocks

The paper describes the main features of a new numerical model of distributor for railway vehicles equipped with type K composite blocks, available in the TrainDy software. The composite brake blocks (CBB) type K guarantee better braking performance and quieter operation than traditional cast iron blocks (P10). Railway wagons with this type of shoes have different braking systems compared to wagons with traditional shoes, since their performance changes, for example, depending on the load carried by the wagon and the type of braking regime. The paper shows a series of tests comparing the numerical results provided by the new module with the experimental data. In this work, the parameters of the numerical model of the distributor are automatically calculated, by using the Mathworks "Global Optimization toolbox" for comparison between numerical and experimental data, provided by Faiveley Transport (Wabtec group) during the revision process of Leaflet UIC 421. The Frechet distance, which allows evaluating the degree of similarity of two curves, is the basis for the comparison. This approach allows identifying, on a rational and numerical basis, the parameters of the distributor, without having to use the support of an expert user.