Exploring the Mechanical Behaviour of Primary Suspension Springs in Locomotives

In this work, the mechanical behaviour of the primary suspension spring is investigated by doing a thorough static analysis using ANSYS. Important information on the stress distribution, deformation properties and probable failure sites of the main suspension spring is captured. Specifically, deformations are examined for three materials: Chrome Vanadium, Spring Steel and Hastelloy C276. This work aims at the possibility of using the Hastelloy C276 in place of the conventional steels. Results show that the maximum total deformation of Hastelloy decreased by 11.37% compared to Spring Steel and by 3.89% compared to Chrome Vanadium. The maximum equivalent elastic strain of Hastelloy decreased by 13.4% compared to Spring Steel and by 3.18% compared to Chrome Vanadium.