Design of a Dynamic Testing Machine for Railway Seats

A railway passenger vehicle must ensure a high level of comfort, especially if it is used for the transport of persons with reduced mobility. Comfort is a physical and psychological condition, affected by many factors, such as vibration, noise, temperature and humidity. The comfort level of a railway vehicle is particularly affected by its mechanical vibrations with a frequency range from 0 Hz to 50 Hz. This range depends on the characteristics of the track and the suspensions of the vehicle. The technical standards currently in use require the measurement of the accelerations at the level of the floor of the vehicle neglecting the important effect of the seat. This work, which is developed within the "Caritas" project within the Industry 2015 program, describes the development and design of a test bench that allows the contribution of the seat to the improvement of the passenger comfort to be quantified. The tests, which can be performed, are an aid to the proper design of the seat for the purpose of optimal comfort.