PAPER

Structure of an Independent-wheel-system Bogie with a DDM

and its Performance at High Speed

Noriaki TOKUDA Makoto ISHIGE

Senior Researcher, Senior Researcher,
Running Gear Laboratory, Vehicle Structure Technology Division

We have developed a new-concept bogie for gauge-changeable trains that is applicable

to both standard gauge 1,435-mm line and meter gauge 1,067-mm line. The bogie must
therefore feature good running stability at high speeds on standard gauge lines as well as
high running performance on the curves of meter gauge line. It adopts a direct-drive
motor system to enable the motor to be mounted directly to the wheels, an independent
wheel system and a wheel-set steering system. The independent wheel system provides the
bogie with good running stability at high speeds with a short wheelbase. We tested the
model on our rolling stock test machine, and confirmed that no stability problems oc-
curred at speeds of up to 500 km/h. We also conducted high-speed performance testing at
the Transportation Technology Center Inc. in Pueblo, Colorado, USA, and on the Sanyo
Shinkansen line in Japan at speeds of over 200 km/h.

Keywords
Keywords: independent wheel system, high-speed performance, direct-drive motor system,
gauge-changeable bogie, steering system

1. Introduction which adopts the cardan drive system. The purpose of

In Japan, standard gauge lines are used for
Shinkansen tracks, while other lines adopt the meter
gauge type. This means that, for trains operating on both
Shinkansen and meter gauge lines, a gauge-changeable
bogie applicable to both types is needed.
We began development of the type A bogie, which
adopts a direct-drive motor system to enable the motor to
be mounted directly to the wheels, an independent wheel
system and a wheel-set steering system [1]. The purpose
of developing the type A model was to provide a simple
bogie construction for a gauge-change system. After de-
veloping this bogie, we also developed the type B bogie,
developing the type B bogie was to enable comparison of
the performance between independent and non-indepen-
dent wheel systems.
This paper discusses the high-speed performance of
the type A bogie and its construction.
2. Construction of the bogie
The type A bogie is characterized by an independent
wheel system and wheel sliding on the axle in the axial
direction. In the interests of simplifying its construction,
we selected a direct-drive motor system to enable the

Guide pin Outer rotor of motor

Locking block
Outer sleeve

Coil of motor

Roller bearing

Axle
Axle box Guide beam

Taper roller bearing

Fig. 1 Construction of Type A bogie
Type

QR of RTRI, Vol. 49, No. 4, Nov. 2008 199

 Steering link
䌒䌔䋭䌘䋹
Fig. 2 Type A bogie
Type
motor to be mounted directly to the wheels (Fig. 1). The
independent wheel system provides the bogie with good
running stability at high speeds with a short wheelbase
(2,200 mm). However, the lack of a self-steering function
on this system may result in large lateral forces, and the
wheel flange may wear when negotiating small-radius
curves on meter gauge line (1,067 mm). To address this
problem, the bogie is designed with a forced-steering sys-
tem that steers the wheelset with links according to the
relative angle of yaw between the car body and the bogie
(Fig. 2).
3. High-speed performance
3.1 Test on a rolling test machine
Test
We tested the first prototype bogie, the RT-X5, on our
rolling stock test machine. The bogie’s wheelbase is 2,100
mm, and the spring stiffness of the axle box is almost the
same as that of a commercial Shinkansen bogie (Table 1).
No stability problems causing hunting were found at 450
km/h, but the temperature of the bearing at 450 km/h
was over its allowable limit. This is because its dN value
exceeds 500,000 at 450 km/h, and the bearing size was
designed for an axle load of 12.5 t. For comparison, we
then connected the wheels on both sides with a sleeve
and tested it. The speed limit for hunting was 150 km/h.
At high speed, small amounts of high-frequency vibra-
200
Steering beam
䌒䌔䋭䌘䋱䋰
tion were observed as a result of the small clearance be-
tween the axle box and the axle box beam (Table 2).
We tested the next prototype bogie, the RT-X7, on our
rolling stock test machine. For this model, the bearing
was miniaturized, and an oil seal was attached to the
bearing to improve lubrication performance. There was
no clearance between the axle box and the axle box beam,
and the wheelbase and spring stiffness of the axle box
were the same as those of the RT-X5. No stability prob-
lems causing hunting were found at a speed of 500 km/h
(Table 3).
Based on the test results of the RT-X5 and RT-X7 bo-
gies, we designed RT-X9 and RT-X10 bogies for running
with a test train on a commercial line. The basic construc-
tion of the wheelset in the RT-X9 and RT-X10 bogies is
the same, but for negotiating small-radius curves on meter
gauge line (1,067 mm), their forced-steering systems were
different.
The difference between the RT-X9 and RT-X10 bogies
is in the layout of the link between the Z-shape link and
the car body. The RT-X9 bogie has links directly connect-
ing the car body with the Z-shape link, while the RT-X10
has a steering beam in the same way as a bogie with a
bolster, and links connect the steering beam with the Z-
shape link.
For the steering system, the longitudinal spring
stiffnesses of the axle boxes in the RT-X9 and RT-X10
bogies were made lower than those of the RT-X5 and RT-
X7. We tested both bogies on our rolling stock test ma-
QR of RTRI, Vol. 49, No. 4, Nov. 2008
 Table 1 Bogie specifications
Wheel Axle
Gauge Spring
Bogie Wheel base load Bearing Steering Axle
mm kg/mm/box
mm t
φ 320 × 220 　
RT-X5
(dN=430,000)
Proto 12.0 φ 165
1,435 Outer race Kx=770
type Inde
or 2,100 rolling Ky=330 －
pendent 　 　
RT-X7 1,067 Kz=100
Proto 10.5
type 　
φ 290 × 190
　
(dN=370,000) Bolster
RT-X9 φ 160
Outer race Kx=200 less
↑ ↑ 2,200 12.5 rolling kY=640
Kz=90 Steering
RT-X10
Beam
　 　

Table 2 Results of test on rolling test machine

Test condition Test result km/h
Gauge Hunting limit Maximum
Bogie Wheel set
mm km/h km/h
　 High bearing temp
1,435 Independent No hunting 450 Small amount of high
frequency vibration
Hunting
↑ Fixed 150 － Small amount of high
frequency vibration
RT-X5
Wheel close to rail
1,067 Independent No hunting 350 Small amount of high
frequency vibration
Hunting
↑ Fixed 185 － Small amount of high
　 frequency vibration

Table 3 Results of test on rolling test machine seen with the RT-X10. It can therefore be concluded that
this vibration came from the coupled vibration of the
Bogie Max test speed Bogie hunting bogie’s yawing movement and the rolling movement of
the car body.
RT-X7 500 km/h ―――
3.2 Running test
Rolling vibration
RT-X9 250 － 350 km/h ―――
without yaw damper We conducted high-speed performance and endurance
testing at the Transportation Technology Center Inc. in
RT-X10 250 － 350 km/h ――― Pueblo, Colorado, USA. The maximum speed for the test
of the RT-X9 and RT-X10 bogies was 243 km/h (Fig. 3). In
testing without one yaw damper, rolling vibration was
chine. observed on the RT-X9 bogie.
No stability problems causing hunting were found at We then conducted high-speed performance testing
a speed of 350 km/h. This test was limited to 350 km/h in on the Sanyo Shinkansen line in Japan at over 200 km/h,
line with the allowable limit of the motor’s rotation speed. and confirmed stability at high speeds. The results of
We judged that running stability can be maintained at running tests on the RT-X9 and RT-X10 bogies confirmed
speeds of over 350 km/h, and testing without a steering that the independent-wheel-type bogie with a steering
link confirmed that there were no stability problems caus- system offers good stability at high speed, and that the
ing hunting. When we tested the RT-X9 bogie without one RT-X10 bogie with a steering beam is more stable than
yaw damper, rolling vibration was observed, but was not the RT-X9 model.

QR of RTRI, Vol. 49, No. 4, Nov. 2008 201

 300 㪈㪋㪇 㪎㪇㪇
243km/h
250
㪈㪉㪇 㪍㪇㪇
SPEED km

200
㪈㪇㪇 㪌㪇㪇

㪫㪼㫄㫇㪼㫉㪸㫋㫌㫉㪼㩷㩷㷄
㪇㪈㪙

㪭㪼㫃㫆㪺㫀㫋㫐㩷㩷㫂㫄㪆㪿
150

㪫㪼㫄㫇㪼㫉㪸㫋㫌㫉㪼㩷㩷
㪇㪉㪙
100
㪏㪇 㪋㪇㪇 㪇㪊㪙
㪇㪋㪙
50 㪍㪇 㪊㪇㪇 㫉㫆㫆㫄
㪭
0 㪋㪇 㪉㪇㪇
R71 R66 R61 R56 R51 R46 R41 R36 R31 R26 R21 R16 R11 R6 R73
LOCATION ID
㪉㪇 㪈㪇㪇
Fig. 3 Running test at maximum speed
㪇 㪇
㪇 㪈㪇 㪉㪇 㪊㪇 㪋㪇
4. Improvement of the bearing system 㪫㫀㫄㪼㩷㩷㫄㫀㫅
Fig. 4 Results of bearing rotating test
We improved the lubricating performance for bear-
ings, which are the most important mechanical parts of Seal Grease pocket
high-speed bogies. The dN value (diameter x number of
rotations) indicates the high-speed performance of bear-
ings, and the value for commercial Shinkansen models is
almost 220,000. However, for the type A bogie, the inner
diameter of the bearing is over 200 mm because the di-
ameter of the axle and sleeve is large, giving it a dN value
130,000 km 330,000 km 1,200,000 km
of almost 340,000. Table 4 shows the relevant specifica-
tions. Additionally, the wheel rotates with the motor, so
the outer race of the bearing also rotates. Grease in the Open type Sealed type Grease supply type
bearing is therefore pushed out by centrifugal force, and Fig. 5 Modification of bearing lubrication life
lubricating performance decreases.
Table 4 Bearing specifications
Oil lubrication bearing
Shinkansen Proto Type Type A bogie

dN Value 22.1 × 104* 43.0 × 104* 36.8 × 104*

Oil or
Lubrication Grease
grease
Inner race Outer race
Characteristics
rotation rotation
Figure 4 shows the bearing temperature in the bench
test. At 270 km/h, it reached the limit value of 120℃ in
one hour. The mechanical performance of the bearing thus
had no problems at speeds over 300 km/h, but as its tem-
perature is limited by the dN value, the speed limit of the
bearing for commercial use is 240 - 270 km/h.
To improve the lubricating performance, we tried an
open-type bearing followed by a sealed-type bearing, and
then developed a new type of bearing with an internal
grease pocket (Fig. 5) that has a lubrication life five times
longer than that of the open-type bearing.
We then tried a structure lubricated with oil (Fig. 6).
The lubricating condition of the bearing’s roller is favor-
able, with oil pressed to the outer race by centrifugal force.
As the temperature of the seal becomes high, we devel-
oped a system to reduce pressure in the oil pan.
Grease
Outer race
rotation
* 300 km/h
Fig. 6 Construction of oil lubrication bearing
① High-speed running stability with the independent-
wheel-system bogie was maintained at over 350 km/h.
② In testing of the RT-X9 bogie without one yaw damper,
rolling vibration on the car body was observed, but was
not seen on the RT-X10 bogie.
③ In line with specifications such as the axle load, the
commercial speed of the developed bogie type is lim-
ited to 240 - 270 km/h since high-speed performance is
restricted by the bearing temperature. For use of this
type of bogie at speeds of over 300 km/h, the dN value
of the bearing should be smaller.

5. Conclusions 6. References

We tested two types of bogie with an independent wheel [1] Noriaki TOKUDA : Development of Gauge Change
system and a steering system for a gauge-changeable train with Bogies. Quartely Report of RTRI, Vol. 44, No. 3, Mar.
an axle load of 12.5 t. The results obtained are outlined here: 2003.

202 QR of RTRI, Vol. 49, No. 4, Nov. 2008