Presentation of rel.0303

Author: Ingemar Persson (DEsolver)

Updates from rel.0203 to rel.0303

1. Negative speeds allowed.
   Updates has also been made to the program MPLOT.

2. New key variable Shift_Xposition has been introduced. If a variable with the name Shift_Xposition exists in the main memory, the origin of all lsys inclusive the coordinates of the track will be shifted longitudinally. The variable has been introduced because the MPLOT program and the MPdat-file is written in single precision.

3. New command oper_init( ..... ) which replaces a variable or constant. Example

4. In order to speed up the start-up phase in program MPLOT. Store the .id-file in two files $ident.id and $ident.id2 in the same way as the as $ident.mp and $ident.mp2.

5. Input data is read in double precision.

6. New function kpf_variable_1 which on a convenient way generates a wheel/rail-geometry function which varies along the track. Example

7. New command s_var var_0 which only saves the variable if it exists. If the variable not exists the command is disregarded. The command stores the variable both as scalar and vector in the MPdat-file.

8. Handle negative arguments in the power-function.

9. Nicer output format of the calc.out file.
   Begin the file calc.out with the table containing the main memory.
   A blank line is inserted before each new command.
   The prefix "Addr" is added before each address.
   The prefix "Func" is written before each function.
   The prefix "Coupl" is written before each coupling,,,etc.
   Example:
   calc.out    Master.runf

10. New input data command idebug_file in where the user can define the name of the calc.out-file.

11. The ELSE command has been introduced.

12. A new big function wr_coupl_pra1 with massless railhead fastsim and archard's wear model. The output of the wear is both in total for the whole contact surface and per strip in the fastsim model.

13. New coupling kf_exp1 with exponential friction especially designed for leaf springs.

14. New command func print06_quasi.

15. Fstart, fstep, fstop, tout, tstart, tstep and tstop are stored in the main memory and can be set by func-commands.

16. In coupling kf2 accept the working directions f, k and p.

17. If an error occurs during the input data phase, program CALC will write the name of the file and on which line number the error has occured.

18. New function mod which calculates the remainder.

1. Allow the y-axis to have a length of an odd number of centimeters. Change the automatic scale function in order to handle y-axis at any lengths.

2. Better scaling when both y_bot and y_top has been defined in the same diagram.

3. Change ident no to "mplot_id", for users who likes run mplot from a script where the ident has been set to "no".

4. Allow tstart > tstop for handeling of the cases when negative speed has been used.

5. Number of percentiles increased from to 5 to 20.

6. New commands: "func max", "func const" and "func intpl_l".

7. Accept if yvar is preceeded by a + or - sign.

8. Operations can be given in the edit_page window.

9. Introduced if_then with the test .exist.

10. Do not expand the runf-file before reading input data. Read input data in the same way as program CALC does.

1. Make it possible to change model without restart program GPLOT.

2. Read and animate moments from a simulation

3. Control the plotting of individual forces and moments.

1. Make an initial selection of nodes within TOL_NODE_DMAX, in order to reduce computation time. Make a dump printout of the selected nodes to file *.npickd.

2. Do not expand the runf-file before reading input data. Read input data in the same way as program CALC does.

1. When running opti under option -append_overwrite, check the order of the cases with the previous results. Reorder the cases if necessary.

Program KPF

1. Create a contact pressure contour plot if input data parameter iplot3 is set equal to 2.

2. New subcommand rot_orient has been introduced under command func in MPLOT. In the new command the user can orient wheel profiles measured by miniprof, relative to a new unworn wheel profile. The command rotates and translates the measured profile in vertical direction.

Program GENFILE

1. Make calls to ps2epsi and ps_rotate.

2. Make call to sort_mtabler

Program FUNC

1. New input data parameters CHECK_FORMF1 & CHECK_FORMF2 which makes it possible for the user to choose if the input files and input reading agrees or not. If the user chooses NO-checking program FUNC will not complain if the input file contains extra columns.

Program MTABLE

1. Do not run program MPLOT more than one time.

2. Do not stop the calculation if the columns are too narrow.

3. Draw vertical lines for marking the start and ending of each column.

Program RUNF_INFO

1. Do not expand the runf-file before reading input data. Read input data in the same way as program CALC does.

1. Program trc_concat, trc_qnumb_track and trc_number.
   Changed into double precision in order to handle tracks with big X-coordinates.

2. Program trc_strix_track2 and trc_strix_extract2.
   New program converting the new file format SPL, written by the track recording car STRIX.
   In the transformation use high order Butterworth-filters instead of the Klipp-filter.
   Write the results in format trax_wdesign including headder lines consisting of: date, creator, and track geometry quality levels.

3. Program trc_qnumb_track and trc_updown.
   Handle trax_wdesign-format.

1. The files .oldans.* are not used any longer

2. New script view_html, which starts netscape from nedit.

3. Script calc.
   New queue-systems at and batch. ("batch" works only under Linux)

4. Script calc.
   New option nice where the user can start the program in lower priority.

5. Scripts mplot, calcp and opti.
   New Tcl-scripts which promts the user for more arguments.
   opti    calc    mplot

6. New environment variable $gendel.

7. Scripts predat, npick, gplot, mplot, calcp and opti.
   Check that the programs is started at project level.

1. Two new official books: Document "Using GENSYS 0203" ISBN 91-631-3110-2 and Document "Using GENSYS 0303" ISBN 91-631-3111-0. To be used as reference documents.

2. New file: $HOME/.kde/share/applnk/Applications/gensys.desktop and icon to be used in the KDE window manager startup panel.

Checking the list of items from last meeting.

Following items were discussed at the meeting, and the goal is to include these items in rel.0303.

• Kinematic couplings between different coordinate systems.

• Possibility to model vehicles without axle between the wheels.

• Instead of introducing new flags e.g. check_if_then_at_0 and overwrite_property. Introduce a flag BACKWARD_COMPATIBILITY for old input data files.
  (Define the default values in a file std_inserts.ins and read its contents into program CALC via the insert-command)

• Introduce ELSE-command in a if_then-endif-block.

• In program GPLOT and NPICK, let command "body figure" also animate modal shapes.

• In program GPLOT, make it possible to animate moment.

• Make it possible to interactively in program GPLOT select forces and moment to be plotted.

• In program TRC_STRIX_TRACK, read the longitudinal distance in double precision, in order to handle track-files which starts at a very big longitudinal coordinate.

• Make it possible to reduce the backup time when using the GENSYS del-command.

• Make it possible to set default values to MPLOT via the .Xdefaults-file. E.g.
  mplot*xaxis_along: shortside
  (Define the default values in a file "std_inserts.ins" and read its contents into program MPLOT via the insert-command)

• Add tiff-preview to the generated postscript files.

• If the input data file is non-existing, stop the execution rather than using the previous used input data file.

• When using the power-function raising numbers to the power of 2, 4, 6,,, etc. Calculate the absolute value of the number before raising the number, otherwise Fortran will complain when trying to raise a negative number.

• In program KPF plot all contact pressure diagrams in one condensed contour plot.

• In program TRC_STRIX_TRACK, write the Banverkets Q-numbers, QN1, QN2, QN3, date and $USER as commentary lines in the beginning of the created track file.

• Create a new command for saving variables to the id-file. The new command shall have the following function:
  - don't break if the variable is non-existent
  - save the variable both as vector and scalar.

• In program OPTI, add possibility to insert new cases in the input data file, when OPTI is running under option -append_overwrite.

• In program MTABLE, make it possible to inhibit the creation of backup files.

• Make better and more accurate figures of the car-bodies, by using the node locations in the FEM-model.

• Introduce a new command line option for program CALC, so standard output can be sent to a file. This is useful when running CALC under nohup.

• Introduce a new command line option -nice in program CALC, where the users can initiate executions of program CALC under lower priority.

Items to be included in a future release of GENSYS.

Following items were not discussed at the meeting, but they remain as low priority items to be included in a future release of GENSYS.

• Introduce a possibility to give wheel and rail profiles directly in the input data file to program CALC.

• Consider non-elliptical surfaces, by using FASTSIM with different flexibility parameters in different stripes of the contact surface, according to the Kik-Piotrowski method.
  Or by using FASTSIM with flexibility parameters according to Ulf Olofsson and Tanel Telliskivi (KTH).

• A substructure-file using program PRE_CONTACT and CONTACT for calculating creep forces directly in program CALC.

• In program MPLOT, introduce possibility to click on the coordinate axis for information and for possibility to change current scales.

• In program FRESP, select fstart, fstep and fstop automatically when an input Fourier spectra is read from program FTRANS.

• Create a local coordinate system which pitches in transition curves.

• Translate program MPLOT into double precision.

• Add possibility in program CALC to consider vertical curves.

• Possibility to automatically calculate ride index according to PCT and NMW.

• Add possibility in program GPLOT to animate results from program FRESP.

• To further reduce the simulation time in program TSIM, a big hard coded user function could be defined, which models a conventional bogie with ordinary primary- and secondary- suspension.

• Make a script trc_trac_strix which converts track data files into STRIX-format.

Demonstration of rel.0303

• Open the documentation via the nedit editor.

• New recommended wheel/rail coupling substructure wr_coupl_pe1.ine.

• KTH Project assignment "Ride stability on tangent track"

• KTH Project assignment "Track forces, wear etc on nominal track curves"

• Show track forces in program GPLOT.

• Plot wheel profiles in program MPLOT.

Items to be included in GENSYS.0403

• Introduce the tip of the day.

• An element for brake discs and gear box, for simulation of a derailment.

• Rewrite the wear-prediction code in Fortran.