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.

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 railway wheel tread damage on wheel-rail impact loads and the durability of wheelsets

Dynamic wheel-rail contact forces induced by a severe form of wheel tread damage have been measured by a wheel impact load detector during full-scale field tests at different vehicle speeds.Based on laser scanning,the measured three-dimensional damage geometry is employed in simulations of dynamic vehicle-track interaction to calibrate and verify a simulation model.The relation between the magnitude of the impact load and various operational parameters,such as vehicle speed,lateral position of wheel-rail contact,track stiffness and position of impact within a sleeper bay,is investigated.The calibrated model is later employed in simulations featuring other forms of tread damage;their effects on impact load and subsequent fatigue impact on bearings,wheel webs and subsurface initiated rolling contact fatigue of the wheel tread are assessed.The results quantify the effects of wheel tread defects and are valuable in a shift towards condition-based maintenance of running gear,and for general assessment of the severity of different types of railway wheel tread damage.

Investigation of the Relation between Rolling Contact Fatigue Property and Microstructure on the Surface Layer of D2 Wheel Steel

Through the rolling contact fatigue experiment under the condition of the lubricating oil, this article investigated the relation between contact fatigue property and microstructure on the surface layer of D2 wheel steel. The results showed that although the roughness of the original specimen induced by mechanical processing would diminish to some extent in the experiment, the 0.5 - 1.5 μm thick layer of ultrafine microstructure on the original mechanically-processed specimen surface would still become micro-cracks and small spalling pits due to spalling, and would further evolve into fatigue crack source. Additionally, even under the impact of the load that was not adequate to make the material reach fatigue limit, the ferrite in the microstructure underwent plastic deformation, which led the refinement of proeutectoid ferrite grains. During the experiment, the hardening and the refinement caused by plastic deformation consisted with the theory that dislocation gave rise to plastic deformation and grain refinement. The distribution laws of hardness and ferrite grain sizes measured could be explained by the distribution law of the shearing stress in the subsurface.

Numerical Analysis of Rolling-sliding Contact with the Frictional Heat in Rail

Thermal damage caused by frictional heat of rolling-sliding contact is one of the most important failure forms of wheel and rail. Many studies of wheel-rail frictional heating have been devoted to the temperature field, but few literatures focus on wheel-rail thermal stress caused by frictional heating. However, the wheel-rail creepage is one of important influencing factors of the thermal stress In this paper, a thermo-mechanical coupling model of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact is developed using thermo-elasto-plastic finite element method. The effect of the wheel-rail elastic creepage on the distribution of heat flux is investigated using the numerical model in which the temperature-dependent material properties are taken into consideration. The moving wheel-rail contact force and the frictional heating are used to simulate the wheel rolling on the rail. The effect of the creepage on the temperature rise, thermal strain, residual stress and residual strain under wheel-rail sliding-rolling contact are investigated. The investigation results show that the thermally affected zone exists mainly in a very thin layer of material near the rail contact surface during the rolling-sliding contact. Both the temperature and thermal strain of rail increase with increasing creepage. The residual stresses induced by the frictional heat in the surface layer of rail appear to be tensile. When the creepage is large, the frictional heat has a significant influence on the residual stresses and residual strains of rail. This paper develops a thermo-meehanical coupling model of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact, and the obtained results can help to understand the mechanism of wheel/rail frictional thermal fatigue.

Effect of wheelset flexibility on wheel–rail contact behavior and a specific coupling of wheel–rail contact to flexible wheelset

The fexibility of a train＇s wheelset can have a large effect on vehicle–track dynamic responses in the medium to high frequency range.To investigate the effects of wheelset bending and axial deformation of the wheel web,a specifi coupling of wheel–rail contact with a fexible wheelset is presented and integrated into a conventional vehicle–track dynamic system model.Both conventional and the proposed dynamic system models are used to carry out numerical analyses on the effects of wheelset bending and axial deformation of the wheel web on wheel–rail rolling contact behaviors.Excitations with various irregularities and speeds were considered.The irregularities included measured track irregularity and harmonic irregularities with two different wavelengths.The speeds ranged from 200 to400km/h.The results show that the proposed model can characterize the effects of fexible wheelset deformation on the wheel–rail rolling contact behavior very well.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF TWO-POINT CONTACT BETWEEN WHEEL AND RAIL

The elastic-plastic contact problem with rolling friction of wheel-rail is solved using the FE parametric quadratic programming method. Thus, the complex elastic-plastic contact problem can be calculated with high accuracy and efficiency, while the Hertz＇s hypothesis and the elastic semi-space assumption are avoided. Based on the ‘one-point＇ contact calculation of wheel-rail, the computational model of ‘two-point＇ contact are established and calculated when the wheel flange is close to the rail. In the case of ‘two-point＇ contact, the changing laws of wheelrail contact are introduced and contact forces in various load cases are carefully analyzed. The main reason of wheel flange wear and rail side wear is found. Lubrication computational model of the wheel flange is constructed. Comparing with the result without lubrication, the contact force between wheel flange and rail decreases, which is beneficial for reducing the wear of wheel-rail.

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.

Running safety assessment method of trains under seismic conditions based on the derailment risk domain

The accurate assessment of running safety during earthquakes is of significant importance for ensuring the safety of railway lines.Currently,assessment methods based on a single index suffer from issues such as misjudgment of operational safety and difficulty in evaluating operational margin,making them unsuitable for assessing train safety during earthquakes.Therefore,in order to propose an effective evaluation method for the running safety of trains during earthquakes,this study employs three indexes,namely lateral displacement of the wheel–rail contact point,wheel unloading rate,and wheel lift,to describe the lateral and vertical contact states between the wheel and rail.The corresponding evolution characteristics of the wheel–rail contact states are determined,and the derailment forms under different frequency components of seismic motion are identified through dynamic numerical simulations of the train–track coupled system under sine excitation.The variations in the wheel–rail contact states during the transition from a safe state to the critical state of derailment are analyzed,thereby constructing the evolutionary path of train derailment and seismic derailment risk domain.Lastly,the wheel–rail contact and derailment states under seismic conditions are analyzed,thus verifying the effectiveness of the evaluation method for assessing running safety under earthquakes proposed in this study.The results indicate that the assessment method based on the derailment risk domain accurately and comprehensively reflects the wheel–rail contact states under seismic conditions.It successfully determines the forms of train derailment,the risk levels of derailment,and the evolutionary paths of derailment risk.

The effect of track alignment irregularity on wheel-rail contact geometry relationship in a turnout zone

The irregularity is a key factor affecting the wheel-rail contact geometry relationship. In this paper, we calculated the wheel-rail contact points at typical sections and obtained the longitudinal variation of the wheel-rail geometry relationship with the trace line method. The profile of the key rail sections was matched by cubic spline curve, and the shape interpolation was realized in non-controlling sections. The results show that the roll angles at each typical section increases gradually with the enlargement of track alignment irregularity. When the flange contact occurs, the roll angle increases dramatically. Proper track alignment irregularity towards the switch rail improves the structure irregularity of the turnout.

Simulation on derailment base on a new wheel-rail contact method

The simulation package for special research on derailment of high speed vehicle is established.The process of derailment is different from other behaviors of vehicle dynamics because of large lateral displacement of wheelsets.To get correct results,a new fast algorithm to computing contact force is adopted and the exact geometry analysis is necessary to judge derailment happened.Variation of contact condition and coefficient of friction with speeds are also considered into vehicle-track coupled model.The structure of the package is presented in detail.The results are particular emphasis on investigation influence of maximum track defect,critical vehicle speed and various contact condition on derailment.The simulation can also be used to define the most risk factor leading to derailment.

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.

ELASTIC-PLASTIC FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL CONTACT-IMPACT AT RAIL JOINT

Using the finite element code ANSYS/LS-DYNA, a dynamic finite element modelwith an elastic-linear-kinematic-hardening plastic material is established to analyzeelastic-plastic stresses in the railhead in the impact process of wheel and rail occurring at thegap of rail joint. The model is based on the discrete elastic support condition of the rails, whichis suitable for the actual situation of wheel/track rolling contact. In the analysis the influencesof axle load, yield stress and tangent modulus of rail material on the stresses and strains areinvestigated in detail. The distribution of stresses and strains in the jointed railhead are given.It is found that the axle load, yield stress and tangent modulus of rail material greatly affect thestresses and strains in the railhead during impacting. The study provides a reliable method anduseful datum for the further research on fatigue and wear of railhead and improving the rail jointmode.

Simulation of wheel and rail profile wear:a review of numerical models

The development of numerical models able to compute the wheel and rail profile wear is essential to improve the scheduling of maintenance operations required to restore the original profile shapes.This work surveys the main numerical models in the literature for the evaluation of the uniform wear of wheel and rail profiles.The standard structure of these tools includes a multibody simulation of the wheel-track coupled dynamics and a wear module implementing an experimental wear law.Therefore,the models are classified according to the strategy adopted for the worn profile update,ranging from models performing a single computation to models based on an online communication between the dynamic and wear modules.Nevertheless,the most common strategy nowadays relies on an iteration of dynamic simulations in which the profiles are left unchanged,with co-simulation techniques often adopted to increase the computational performances.Work is still needed to improve the accuracy of the current models.New experimental campaigns should be carried out to obtain refined wear coefficients and models,while strategies for the evaluation of both longitudinal and transversal wear,also considering the effects of tread braking,should be implemented to obtain accurate damage models.

Numerical simulation of wheel wear evolution for heavy haul railway

The prediction of the wheel wear is a fundamental problem in heavy haul railway. A numerical methodology is introduced to simulate the wheel wear evolution of heavy haul freight car. The methodology includes the spatial coupling dynamics of vehicle and track, the three-dimensional rolling contact analysis of wheel-rail, the Specht's material wear model, and the strategy for reproducing the actual operation conditions of railway. The freight vehicle is treated as a full 3D rigid multi-body model. Every component is built detailedly and various contact interactions between parts are accurately simulated, taking into account the real clearances. The wheel-rail rolling contact calculation is carried out based on Hertz's theory and Kalker's FASTSIM algorithm. The track model is built based on field measurements. The material loss due to wear is evaluated according to the Specht's model in which the wear coefficient varies with the wear intensity. In order to exactly reproduce the actual operating conditions of railway,dynamic simulations are performed separately for all possible track conditions and running velocities in each iterative step.Dimensionless weight coefficients are introduced that determine the ratios of different cases and are obtained through site survey. For the wheel profile updating, an adaptive step strategy based on the wear depth is introduced, which can effectively improve the reliability and stability of numerical calculation. At last, the wear evolution laws are studied by the numerical model for different wheels of heavy haul freight vehicle running in curves. The results show that the wear of the front wheelset is more serious than that of the rear wheelset for one bogie, and the difference is more obvious for the outer wheels. The wear of the outer wheels is severer than that of the inner wheels. The wear of outer wheels mainly distributes near the flange and the root; while the wear of inner wheels mainly distributes around the nominal rolling circle. For the outer wheel of front wheelset of each bogie, the development of wear is gradually concentrated on the flange and the developing speed increases continually with the increase of traveled distance.

Study on Match Relationship between Rail and Wheel

The match relationship between rail and wheel was studied by investigating the behavior of the contact fatigue wear in rail/wheel systems.The hardnesses of samples were close or equal to that of the real rail and wheel.Meanwhile the probe of study went further into the condition match and the material match based on the hardness match.The experimental results show that the wear rate depends on the hardness ratio(H/H)between rail and wheel,and the safe value of H/Hequals 1.00-11.20.The fatigue life of materials relies on the operating conditions except hardness.The selected experimental conditions satisfy the condition match except Rheat-treated out-line.The factor H/Sis the main element effecting wears in rail steel and wheel steel.The nature of the hardness match is the microstructure match under specified operating conditions.

ANALYSIS OF CREEP FORCES OF WHEEL/RAIL

The effects of structure elastic deformations of wheelset and track on creep forces of wheel and rail are investigated.Finite element method is used to calculate the influence coefficients expressing the relations between structure elastic deformations of wheelset and track and the corresponding loads in the rolling direction and the lateral direction of wheelset,respectively.The influence coefficients of wheelset and track are used to revise some of the influence coefficients obtained with the formula of Bossinesq and Cerruti in Kalker's theory of three dimensional elastic bodies in rolling contact with non Hertzian form.The theory of Kalker and the modified theory of Kalker are respectively employed to analyze creep forces of wheelset and track.The numerical results obtained show a great influence of structure elastic deformations of wheelset and track on the creep forces.Therfore it is not reasonable that wheel and rail are treated as elastic half space in the analysis of wheel and rail in rolling contact,and the present theories of rolling contact based on the assumption of elastic half space need to be further improved

更高速下轮轨瞬态“滚-滑-跳”接触行为及中/短波不平顺临界限值研究

简述轮轨滚动接触行为预测方法现状的基础上,选择最适于400 km/h及以上更高速和中/短波不平顺激励下轮轨“滚-滑-跳”接触行为分析的瞬态滚动接触显式有限元建模方法,建立更高速轮轨三维瞬态滚动接触时域分析模型,数值模拟了轮对在典型曲线轨道上的瞬态曲线通过行为。根据现营高速轮轨的中/短波不平顺调研,以波长30~210 mm钢轨波磨为典型不平顺,考虑波磨激励下左右两侧轮轨动力作用相互影响,分析波磨几何等因素对速度500 km/h及以下轮轨瞬态“滚-滑-跳”接触行为的影响。考虑低、中频动力减载等因素的前提下,仅从轮轨接触脱离角度,提出轮轨中/短波不平顺的临界管理限值建议,讨论其重要性、合理性和应用局限,并与《高速铁路钢轨打磨管理办法》规定的波磨整治限度进行对比。

考虑材料温变特性的三维轮轨接触热分析

为研究材料温变特性对轮轨接触行为和摩擦温升的影响,提出了一种考虑材料温变特性的三维轮轨热力耦合模型,能够考虑纵、横向蠕滑率和自旋的影响,更为真实地模拟轮轨系统的服役状态.首先,研究了热力耦合建模方式对轮轨界面摩擦温升及接触应力的影响;随后,将该模型应用于地铁小半径曲线处车辆-轨道相互作用模拟.结果表明:当轮轨界面温度达到450℃时,轮轨接触应力显著降低,降幅可达20%;考虑热力耦合建模后,轮轨界面的预测温升明显低于不考虑热力耦合建模时的结果,在蠕滑率为0.16时,两者的差异可达51%;地铁车辆在小半径曲线线路上运行时轮轨摩擦温升因过大的蠕滑率与自旋会急剧增大到750℃,应考虑轮轨热力耦合建模以避免过高估计轮轨摩擦温升以及轮轨接触应力.

钢轨材料局部激光熔覆自熔性合金涂层的磨损与滚动接触疲劳行为

激光熔覆技术可用于钢轨局部损伤表面的局部修复,但局部修复钢轨材料的磨损与滚动接触疲劳损伤规律尚不清楚。通过在钢轨试样表面切除凹槽来模拟局部损伤,在凹槽处激光熔覆Ni基、Fe基和Co基自熔性合金粉末,分析修复钢轨微观组织与硬度,然后利用双轮对滚试验研究局部修复钢轨试样的磨损与滚动接触疲劳行为。结果表明,激光熔覆涂层形成了共晶与枝晶组织,Ni基涂层组织粗大、硬度较小,Fe基与Co基涂层组织尺寸较小,Fe基涂层硬度最大,Co基涂层硬度居中。相比未熔覆区域,激光熔覆区(涂层)塑性变形层厚度较小,且涂层原始硬度越高,硬化后硬度越大,但硬化率和硬化层厚度更小。未熔覆区滚动接触疲劳裂纹较长,但裂纹角度较小;熔覆区裂纹长度均有所降低,但裂纹扩展角度明显增大;熔覆区与未熔覆区结合处疲劳损伤最为严重,疲劳裂纹角度和深度均比熔覆区和未熔覆区更大。对比分析发现,Stellite21(Co基)熔覆试样摩擦因数较低,熔覆区与未熔覆区磨损深度差较小,抗滚动接触疲劳性能较好,较为适合钢轨局部损伤的激光修复。研究结果可为激光熔覆技术在钢轨局部修复上的应用与优化提供理论与技术指导。