Chassis for a rail vehicle

A method for operating a chassis for a rail vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:

• providing a chassis including:
• a chassis frame having two sides;
• at least one first wheelset and at least one second wheelset supporting the chassis frame, each of the wheelsets having a respective axle and two respective axle bearings;
• A-frame linkages each disposed on a respective one of the sides of the chassis frame for horizontal guidance of the axle of a respective one of the wheelsets;
• wheelset-side bearings each forming an articulated connection of a respective one of the A-frame linkages to a respective one of the two axle bearings, and two frame-side bearings each forming an articulated connection of a respective one of the A-frame linkages to the chassis frame;
• at least one of the bearings connected to each respective A-frame linkage on each side of the chassis frame having a respective one of a plurality of hydraulic bushings with a variable stiffness, the hydraulic bushing having fluid chambers to be filled with a hydraulic fluid, permitting a hydraulic pressure to form in the at least one fluid chamber for adjusting a longitudinal stiffness;
• the fluid chambers of the hydraulic bushing including a fluid chamber disposed outwardly in a longitudinal direction and a fluid chamber disposed inwardly in the longitudinal direction;
• the outwardly and the inwardly disposed fluid chambers lying opposite one other and being fillable with hydraulic fluid;
• fluid channels each connected to a respective one of the fluid chambers for an inward or outward flow of hydraulic fluid into or out of the respective fluid chamber, the fluid channels including external fluid channels interconnecting the hydraulic bushings disposed on the same side of the chassis frame;
• the outwardly-disposed fluid chamber of the first wheelset and the inwardly-disposed fluid chamber of the second wheelset being hydraulically coupled to each other, and the inwardly-disposed fluid chamber of the first wheelset and the outwardly-disposed fluid chamber of the second wheelset being hydraulically coupled to each other;
• the hydraulic bushings each having a respective internal fluid channel through which the outwardly-disposed fluid chamber and the inwardly-disposed fluid chamber on the same hydraulic bushing are hydraulically coupled to each other;
• acceleration sensors each being associated with a respective one of the axle bearings for measuring an acceleration of a respective wheelset;
• and
• an adjustment device for adjusting the hydraulic pressure in at least one of the fluid chambers as a function of the measured wheelset acceleration;
• the adjustment device being hydraulically coupled to the fluid channels and being configured to adjust an inward or outward flow of hydraulic fluid to permit the hydraulic pressure in the fluid chambers to be adjusted by using outflows or inflows of hydraulic fluid;
• the adjustment device being hydraulically coupled to the external fluid channels;
• the adjustment device including on/off valves each being associated with a respective one of the internal fluid channels for adjusting a flow of hydraulic fluid through the internal fluid channel;
• measuring a wheelset acceleration for each wheelset by using the acceleration sensors;
• and
• adjusting the hydraulic pressure in at least one of the fluid chambers as a function of the measured wheelset acceleration.