A Novel Model for Describing Rail Weld Irregularities and Predicting Wheel-Rail Forces Using a Machine Learning Approach

Rail weld irregularities are one of the primary excitation sources for vehicle-track interaction dynamics in modern high-speed railways.They can cause significant wheel-rail dynamic interactions,leading to wheel-rail noise,component damage,and deterioration.Few researchers have employed the vehicle-track interaction dynamic model to study the dynamic interactions between wheel and rail induced by rail weld geometry irregularities.However,the cosine wave model used to simulate rail weld irregularities mainly focuses on the maximum value and neglects the geometric shape.In this study,novel theoretical models were developed for three categories of rail weld irregularities,based on measurements of the high-speed railway from Beijing to Shanghai.The vertical dynamic forces in the time and frequency domains were compared under different running speeds.These forces generated by the rail weld irregularities that were measured and modeled,respectively,were compared to validate the accuracy of the proposed model.Finally,based on the numerical study,the impact force due to rail weld irrregularity is modeled using an Artificial Neural Network(ANN),and the optimum combination of parameters for this model is found.The results showed that the proposed model provided a more accurate wheel/rail dynamic evaluation caused by rail weld irregularities than that established in the literature.The ANN model used in this paper can effectively predict the impact force due to rail weld irrregularity while reducing the computation time.

Multi-Body Dynamics Modeling of Heavy Goods Vehicle-Rail Interaction

Based on the principle of vehicle-track coupling dynamics, SIMPACK multi-body dynamics software is used to establish a C80 wagon line-coupled multi-body dynamics model with 73 degrees of freedom. And the reasonableness of the line-coupled dynamics model is verified by using the maximum residual acceleration, the nonlinear critical speed of the wagon. The experimental results show that the established vehicle line coupling dynamics model meets the requirements of vehicle line coupling dynamics modeling.

Effects of Lateral Motion on the Creep Forces in Wheel/Rail Rolling Contact

The influences of the lateral motion of a single wheelset running on a tangent railway on the creepages and creep forces between wheel and rail are investigated with numerical methods. The effect of the yaw motion of wheelset is neglected in the analysis, and Kalker’s theory of three dimensional elastic bodies in rolling contact is employed to analyze the creep forces in the wheel/rail rolling contact with Non Hertzian form.

An experimental study on the effects of friction modifiers on wheel-rail dynamic interactions with various angles of attack

By modifying friction to the desired level,the application of friction modifiers(FMs)has been considered as a promising emerging tool in the railway engineering for increasing braking/traction force in poor adhesion conditions and mitigating wheel/rail interface deterioration,energy consumption,vibration and noise.Understanding the effectiveness of FMs in wheel–rail dynamic interactions is crucial to their proper applications in practice,which has,however,not been well explained.This study experimentally investigates the effects of two types of top-of-rail FM,i.e.FM-A and FM-B,and their application dosages on wheel–rail dynamic interactions with a range of angles of attack(AoAs)using an innovative well-controlled V-track test rig.The tested FMs have been used to provide intermediate friction for wear and noise reduction.The effectiveness of the FMs is assessed in terms of the wheel–rail adhesion characteristics and friction rolling induced axle box acceleration(ABA).This study provides the following new insights into the study of FM:the applications of the tested FMs can both reduce the wheel–rail adhesion level and change the negative friction characteristic to positive;stick–slip can be generated in the V-Track and eliminated by FM-A but intensified by FM-B,depending on the dosage of the FMs applied;the negative friction characteristic is not a must for stick–slip;the increase in ABA with AoA is insignificant until stick–slip occurs and the ABA can thus be influenced by the applications of FM.

Safety evaluation for railway vehicles using an improved indirect measurement method of wheel–rail forces

The wheel-rail force measurement is of great importance to the condition monitoring and safety evaluation of railway vehicles. In this paper, an improved indirect method for wheel-rail force measurement is proposed to evaluate the running safety of railway vehicles. In this method, the equilibrium equations of a suspended wheelset are derived and the wheel-rail forces are then be obtained from measured suspension and inertia forces. This indirect method avoids structural modifications to the wheelset and is applicable to the long-term operation of railway vehicles. As the wheel-rail lateral forces at two sides of the wheelset are difficult to separate, a new derailment criterion by combined use of wheelset derailment coefficient and wheel unloading ratio is proposed. To illustrate its effectiveness, the indirect method is applied to safety evaluation of rail- way vehicles in different scenarios, such as the cross wind safety of a high-speed train and the safety of a metro vehicle with hunting motions. Then, the feasibility of using this method to identify wheel-rail forces for low-floor light rail vehicles with resilient wheels is discussed. The values identified by this method is compared with that by Simpack simulation for the same low-floor vehicle, which shows a good coincidence between them in the time domain of the wheelset lateral force and the wheel-rail vertical force. In addition, use of the method to determine the high-frequency wheel-rail interaction forces reveals that it is possible to identify the high-frequency wheel-rail forces through the accelerations on the axle box.

An integrated approach for the optimization of wheel-rail contact force measurement systems

A comprehension of railway dynamic behavior implies the measure of wheel-rail contact forces which are affected by disturbances and errors that are often difficult to be quantified. In this study, a benchmark test case is proposed, and a bogie with a layout used on some European locomotives such as SIEMENS El90 is studied. In this layout, an additional shaft on which brake disks are installed is used to transmit the braking torque to the wheelset through a single-stage gearbox. Using a mixed approach based on finite element techniques and statistical considerations, it is possible to evaluate an optimal layout for strain gauge positioning and to optimize the measurement system to diminish the effects of noise and disturbance. We also conducted preliminary evaluations on the precision and frequency response of the proposed system.

Comparative study on wheel-rail dynamic interactions of side-frame cross-bracing bogie and sub-frame radial bogie

Improving freight axle load is the most effective method to improve railway freight capability; based on the imported technologies of railway freight bogie, the 27 t axle load side-frame cross-bracing bogie and sub-frame radial bogie are developed in China. In order to analyze and compare dynamic interactions of the two newly developed heavy-haul freight bogies, we establish a vehi- cle-track coupling dynamic model and use numerical calculation methods for computer simulation. The dynamic performances of the two bogies are simulated separately at various conditions. The results show that at the dipped joint and straight line running conditions, the wheel-rail dynamic interactions of both bogies are basically the same, but at the curve negotiation condition, the wear and the lateral force of the side-frame cross-bracing bogie are much higher than that of the sub-frame radial bogie, and the advantages become more obvious when the curve radius is smaller. The results also indicate that the sub- frame radial bogie has better low-wheel-rail interaction characteristics.

State-of-Arts of Mechanics of Rolling Contact and Its Application to Analysis of the Interactions between Wheel and Rail

A few typical models of theory on rolling contact of bodies are reviewed, and the advantages and disadvantages in the applications to the dynamics of railway vehicles and the wheel/rail rolling contact are discussed in detail in the present paper.

Influence of Angle of Attack and Lateral Force between Wheel and Rail on Wear of Rail ——a Laboratory Study

Angle of attack and lateral force are two important parameters influencing wheel rail wear. This paper deals with the question of influences of the angle of attack and the lateral force on the wear of rail. A series of experiments are conducted on 1/4 JD 1 Wheel/Rail Tribology Simulation Facility. The angles of attack selected in the tests are 0°16′30″, 0°37′40″ and 1°0′0″ respectively. The lateral forces selected in the tests are 0.694 kN, 1.250 kN and 2.083 kN, respectively corresponding to the lateral forces of 25 kN, 45 kN and 75 kN measured in the field, with the aim of keeping the same ratio of L/V between laboratory and field conditions. It is found that the larger the angle of attack is, the more serious the wear of rail is. The relation of rail wear rate versus angle of attack is non linear, and the relation of rail wear rate versus lateral force is approximately linear. The influence of angle of attack is more serious than that of lateral force. For the tractive wheelset, the wear index involving linear and quadratic function terms of angle of attack has good agreement with the limited experimental data. Some conclusions are given.

Study on the Curve of Lateral Creep Force of Wheel and Rail

Through the establishment of the negotiation model ofa single-wheelset, the changed curve of the wheel-rail lateral contact characteristic under different working conditions of track media was simulated and analyzed.The elastic mode of the wheel pair, the transverse elasticity of the track, the stick-slip vibration between the wheel and the track, the negative gradient characteristic of the actual creep force characteristic curve, and the right shift characteristic of the saturation point are considered by Simulink model.This can explain many kinds of creep theory and engineering phenomena and also can provide the support of the theoretical and practical for further research based on creep characteristic curve.

Wheel/rail-force–based maintenance interval extension of the C80 series wagon

Purpose–This study aims to introduce the achievements and benefits of applying wheel/rail-force–based maintenance interval extension of the C80 series wagon in China.Design/methodology/approach–Chinese wagons’existing maintenance strategy had left a certain safety margin for the characteristics of widely running range,unstable service environment and submission to transportation organization requirements.To reduce maintenance costs,China railway(CR)has attempted to extend the maintenance interval since 2020.The maintenance cycle of C80 series heavy haul wagons is extended by three months(no stable routing)or 50,000 km(regular routing).However,in the meantime,the alarming rate of the running state,a key index to reflect the severe degree of hunting stability,by the train performance detection system(TPDS)for the C80 series heavy haul wagons has increased significantly.Findings–The present paper addresses a big data statistical way to evaluate the risk of allowing the C80 series heavy haul wagons to remain in operation longer than stipulated by the maintenance interval initial set.Through the maintenance and wayside-detectordata,whichis divided intothreestages,the extension period(three months),the current maintenance period and the previous maintenance period,this method reveals the alarming rate of hunting was correlated with maintenance interval.The maintainability of wagons will be achieved by utilizing wagon performance degradation modeling with the state of the wheelset and the often-contact side bearing.This paper also proposes a statistical model to return to the average safety level of the previous maintenance period’s baseline through correct alarming thresholds for unplanned corrective maintenance.Originality/value–The paper proposes an approach to reduce safety risk due to maintenance interval extension by effective maintenance program.The results are expected to help the railway company make the optimal solution to balance safety and the economy.

Modeling of Energy Processes in Wheel-Rail Contacts Operating under Influence of Periodic Discontinuous Forces

In this paper we present new numerical simulation approaches for determining the energy processes under periodic conditions caused by time-discontinuous forces in the wheel-rail contacts. The main advantage of the presented method is the total elimination of frequency analysis, which in effect introduces important simplifications in the identification of the effects in the contact. The second important feature is the fact that the method is based on the analysis of appropriate loops on the energy phase plane leading to an easy estimation of the rail strength through the evaluation of the loop’s area. That model based simulation in the applied dynamics relies on advanced methods for model setup, robust and efficient numerical solution techniques and powerful simulation tools for practical applications. Fundamental properties of contact displacements of the rail surface have been considered on the basis of the newly established method. The contact zone between railway wheels and the rail surfaces made of bulk materials is perceived as strong enough to resist the normal (vertical) forces introduced by heavy loads and the dynamic response induced by track and wheel irregularities. The analysis is carried out for a wheel running on an elastic rail rested on sleepers arranged on completely rigid foundation. The equations of displacement motion are established through the application of the Lagrange equations approach. The established model of the wheel-rail contact dynamics has been applied to that same roll plane but with taking into account a nonlinear characteristic of the sleeper with respect to the ground. Attention then is focused completely on the modeling of the energy absorbed by the rail. The applied method employs the energy state variables as time functions leading to determine the susceptibility of a given contact on the strength induced by the rail roll.

Beam-track interaction of high-speed railway bridge with ballast track

Based on the construction bridge of Xiamen-Shenzhen high-speed railway(9-32 m simply-supported beam + 6×32 m continuous beam),the pier-beam-track finite element model,where the continuous beam of the ballast track and simply-supported beam are combined with each other,was established.The laws of the track stress,the pier longitudinal stress and the beam-track relative displacement were analyzed.The results show that reducing the longitudinal resistance can effectively reduce the track stress and the pier stress of the continuous beam,and increase the beam-track relative displacement.Increasing the rigid pier stiffness of continuous beam can reduce the track braking stress,increase the pier longitudinal stress and reduce the beam-track relative displacement,Increasing the rigid pier stiffness of simply-supported beam can reduce the track braking stress,the rigid pier longitudinal stress and the beam-track relative displacement.

A Train-Bridge Dynamic Interaction Analysis Method and Its Experimental Validation

The train-bridge dynamic interaction problem began with the development of railway technology, and requires an evaluation method for bridge design in order to ensure the safety and stability of the bridge and the running train. This problem is studied using theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental study. In the train-bridge dynamic interaction system proposed in this paper, the train vehicle model is established by the rigid-body dynamics method, the bridge model is established by the finite element method, and the wheel/rail vertical and lateral interaction are simulated by the corresponding assumption and the Kalker linear creep theory, respectively. Track irregularity, structure deformation, wind load, collision load, structural damage, foundation scouring, and earthquake action are regarded as the excitation for the system. The train-bridge dynamic interaction system is solved by inter-history iteration. A case study of the dynamic response of a CRH380BL high-speed train running through a standard-design bridge in China is discussed. The dynamic responses of the vehicle and of the bridge subsystems are obtained for speeds ranging from 200 km-b-1 to 400 km.h-1, and the vibration mechanism are analyzed.

Safety evaluation of a vehicle–bridge interaction system using the pseudo-excitation method

A method for analysing the vehicle-bridge interaction system with enhanced objectivity is proposed in the paper, which considers the time-variant and random characteristics and allows finding the power spectral densities(PSDs) of the system responses directly from the PSD of track irregularity. The pseudo-excitation method is adopted in the proposed framework, where the vehicle is modelled as a rigid body and the bridge is modelled using the finite element method. The vertical and lateral wheel-rail pseudo-excitations are established assuming the wheel and rail have the same displacement and using the simplified Kalker creep theory, respectively. The power spectrum function of vehicle and bridge responses is calculated by history integral. Based on the dynamic responses from the deterministic and random analyses of the interaction system, and the probability density functions for three safety factors(derailment coefficient, wheel unloading rate, and lateral wheel axle force) are obtained, and the probabilities of the safety factors exceeding the given limits are calculated. The proposed method is validated by Monte Carlo simulations using a case study of a high-speed train running over a bridge with five simply supported spans and four piers.

Experimental study of the wheel/rail impact caused by wheel flat within 400 km/h using full-scale roller rig

Purpose–In service,the periodic clashes of wheel flat against the rail result in large wheel/rail impact force and high-frequency vibration,leading to severe damage on the wheelset,rail and track structure.This study aims to analyze characteristics and dynamic impact law of wheel and rail caused by wheel flat of high-speed trains.Design/methodology/approach–A full-scale high-speed wheel/rail interface test rig was used for the test of the dynamic impact of wheel/rail caused by wheel flat of high-speed train.With wheel flats of different lengths,widths and depths manually set around the rolling circle of the wheel tread,and wheel/rail dynamic impact tests to the flats in the speed range of 0–400 km/h on the rig were conducted.Findings–As the speed goes up,the flat induced the maximum of the wheel/rail dynamic impact force increases rapidly before it reaches its limit at the speed of around 35 km/h.It then goes down gradually as the speed continues to grow.The impact of flat wheel on rail leads to 100–500 Hz middle-frequency vibration,and around 2,000 Hz and 6,000 Hz high-frequency vibration.In case of any wheel flat found during operation,the train speed shall be controlled according to the status of the flat and avoid the running speed of 20 km/h–80 km/h as much as possible.Originality/value–The research can provide a new method to obtain the dynamic impact of wheel/rail caused by wheel flat by a full-scale high-speed wheel/rail interface test rig.The relations among the flat size,the running speed and the dynamic impact are hopefully of reference to the building of speed limits for HSR wheel flat of different degrees.

ExperimentalVerificationofaDetailedVehicle┐TrackVerticalInteractionModel

A theoretical model has been developed to investigate vertical dynamic interactions between railway vehicles and tracks. Wheel rail forces and dynamic responses of vehicle and track components can be simulated with the model. The model has been applied to the study of high speed and heavy haul railway dynamic problems. In order to verify the model completely, a full scale field experiment was performed on the Chinese Datong Qinhuangdao railway. Accelerations of rail, sleeper and ballast were measured and compared with the simulated results both in time domain and in frequency domain.

Application of a Computational Tool to Study the Influence of Worn Wheels on Railway Vehicle Dynamics

The search for fast, reliable and cost effective means of transport that presents better energy efficiency and less impact on the environment has resulted in renewed interest and rapid development in railway technology. To improve its efficiency and competitiveness, modern trains are required to travel faster, with high levels of safety and comfort and with reduced Life Cycle Costs (LCC). These increasing demands for vehicle requirements imposed by railway operators and infrastructure companies include maintaining the top operational speeds of trainsets during their life cycle, having low LCC and being track friendly. This is a key issue in vehicle design and in train operation since it has a significant impact on the safety and comfort of railway systems and on the maintenance costs of vehicles and infrastructures. The purpose of this work is to analyze how the wear progression on the wheelsets affects the dynamic behavior of railways vehicles and its interaction with the track. For this purpose a vehicle, assembled with new and worn wheels, is studied in realistic operation scenarios. The influence of the wheel profile wear on the vehicle dynamic response is assessed here based on several indicators used by the railway industry. The running stability of the railway vehicles is also emphasized in this study.

关键参数对缓圆点波磨区段轮轨力的影响分析

以探究重载线路运行参数对车辆通过缓和曲线低轨侧波磨区轮轨力的影响规律为目的,基于Simpack多体动力学软件搭建了C80车辆-轨道耦合多体动力学模型,利用Matlab生成美国五级轨道随机不平顺,叠加缓圆点前钢轨波磨时域激励作为模型输入,仿真得到在缓圆点处不同波长、波深波磨状态下,缓和曲线长度、曲线半径、超高、行驶速度等关键参数对轮轨力的影响。通过分析一位轮对的轮轨力变化趋势和其最大增长率,发现波磨侧的轮轨力受波磨影响较大;无波磨一侧轮轨横向力受波磨的影响比垂向力大;曲线参数中,各指标最大增长率均随速度的增加而下降;除高轨侧轮轨横向力外,其余指标均随曲线半径的增大而减小;缓和曲线长度和超高的变化,对各指标最大增长率没有明显的降低作用,甚至随着运行参数的增加,指标最大增长率反而增加。

Development of rail technology for high speed railway in China

Purpose–The purpose of this paper is to summarize the status and characteristics of rail technology of high-speed railway in China,and point out the development direction of rail technology of high-speed railway.Design/methodology/approach–This study reviews the evolution of high-speed rail standards in China,comparing their chemical composition,mechanical attributes and geometric specifications with EN standards.It delves into the status of rail production technology,shifts in key performance indicators and the quality characteristics of rails.The analysis further examines the interplay between wheels and rails,the implementation of grinding technology and the techniques for inspecting rail service conditions.It encapsulates the salient features of rail operation and maintenance within the high-speed railway ecosystem.The paper concludes with an insightful prognosis of high-speed railway technology development in China.Findings–The rail standards of high-speed railway in China are scientific and advanced,highly operational and in line with international standards.The quality and performance of rail in China have reached the world’s advanced level.The 60N profile guarantees the operation quality of wheel–rail interaction effectively.The rail grinding technology system scientifically guarantees the long-term good service performance of the rail.The rail service state detection technology is scientific and efficient.The rail technology will take“more intelligent”and“higher speed”as the development direction to meet the future needs of high-speed railway in China.Originality/value–The development direction of rail technology for high-speed railway in China is defined,which will promote the continuous innovation and breakthrough of rail technology.