HyperWorks Streamlines Design and Development of Diesel Export Locomotive at RDSO

• Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
• Sensors - Haptic Sensors

• Equipment & Machinery
• Railway & Metro

• Product Research & Development
• Quality Assurance

• Digital Twin
• Virtual Reality

• Testing & Certification

The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) was tasked with establishing Indian railways as a genuine supplier of Diesel locomotives for the South Asian and African market. The challenge was to develop a diesel locomotive that met performance, reliability, fuel economy, crashworthiness, and operator comfort demands. The locomotives needed to operate economically and safely for decades under harsh conditions with minimal downtime. Durability of components undergoing repeated fatigue cycles was a major concern, with most units logging more than 1 million miles during the first six years of operation and having a useful life of nearly 30 years. Some major components were expected to last more than 50 years in the used equipment market. Achieving these goals while shortening the development cycle was particularly challenging due to the significant time and cost factors associated with running physical tests on such large, complex machines. RDSO had been using simulation tools since 1990, but the time for pre-processing was too high due to limitations of computing machine and software.

The customer in this case study is the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), a unit under the Ministry of Railways in India. RDSO was established in 1957, integrating the Central Standards Office (CSO) and the Railway Testing and Research Centre (RTRC). The organization is responsible for testing and conducting applied research for the development of railway rolling stock, permanent way, and other related aspects. RDSO was tasked with the challenge of establishing Indian railways as a genuine supplier of Diesel locomotives for the South Asian and African market, requiring the development of a diesel locomotive that met stringent performance, reliability, and fuel economy demands.

RDSO used HyperWorks for structural analysis in evaluating stress, deflection, and modal analysis of components. The simulation was also used to guide designers in sculpting the basic shape and topology optimization of parts early in development. Altair HyperMesh was used in detailed analysis of suspension dynamics, vibration isolation mounting of the cab and other subsystems, as well as in the validation of design/development and modifications of the crankcase, cylinder heads, piston rods, and other reciprocating parts of the locomotive’s diesel engine. Using Altair HyperMesh stress analysis of underframe/platform was performed and helped RDSO to optimize the under frame, also enabling to reduce weight which was penalty on account of increase in length due to induction on RE cab. HyperMesh is now a part of the standard design simulation process as a verification and validation tool.

• The use of Altair HyperMesh enabled RDSO analysts and designers to virtually optimize the design of individual components and assemblies as well as the overall locomotive structure. By studying alternative configurations, the product development team was able to make informed decisions on trade-offs among stiffness, weight, and natural frequency requirements. Structural analysis of both the engine and the full locomotive played a key role in increasing fuel efficiency while maintaining high durability and operator comfort with minimized vibrations throughout the structure. HyperMesh has now become a part of the standard design simulation process as a verification and validation tool, streamlining the development process and ensuring the final design meets engineering specifications.

• Reduced development time of the diesel export locomotive
• Optimized structural characteristics of the diesel export locomotive
• Minimized physical testing