Abstract
In the context of modern railway engineering, the demand for lighter and more reliable vehicles has become a key objective for rolling stock manufacturers. Reducing energy consumption and minimizing environmental impact are driving the adoption of advanced materials and innovative design methodologies. This research activity focuses on a comparative analysis between aluminum and carbon fiber thin-walled structures used in railway vehicle car bodies. A high-fidelity finite element model (FEM) of a complete railway vehicle was developed to evaluate structural performance in compliance with European standards. Gaining deeper insights, one of the car body structures was isolated for a detailed dynamic analysis, enabling a comparative evaluation of the two materials. A structural dynamic size optimization process was applied to specific key components, aiming to maximize mass savings while maintaining mechanical integrity. The results exhibited an increase of approximately 10% in the first 10 car body eigenvalues, despite a mass reduction per unit of volume exceeding 30%, while largely preserving the nature of the eigenvectors. From a static perspective, both materials demonstrated good performance, with percentage differences below 20%. The optimization process highlighted significant potential for weight reduction in the analyzed structures. The findings highlight the critical role of optimization processes in streamlining design choices for lightweight structures. Moreover, they underscore the significant potential of high-performance carbon fiber materials in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of railway vehicles. This study provides valuable insights for future research and practical applications in the field of lightweight railway vehicle design.