Wheel-rail contact model for railway vehicle-structure interaction applications:development and validation

An enhancement in the wheel-rail contact model used in a nonlinear vehicle-structure interaction(VSI)methodology for railway applications is presented,in which the detection of the contact points between wheel and rail in the concave region of the thread-flange transition is implemented in a simplified way.After presenting the enhanced formulation,the model is validated with two numerical applications(namely,the Manchester Benchmarks and a hunting stability problem of a sus-pended wheelset),and one experimental test performed in a test rig from the Railway Technical Research Institute(RTRI)in Japan.Given its finite element(FE)nature,and contrary to most of the vehicle multibody dynamic commercial software that cannot account for the infrastructure flexibility,the proposed VSI model can be easily used in the study of train-bridge systems with any degree of complexity.The validation presented in this work proves the accuracy of the proposed model,making it a suitable tool for dealing with different railway dynamic applications,such as the study of bridge dynamics,train running safety under different scenarios(namely,earthquakes and crosswinds,among others),and passenger riding comfort.

Modeling Methods and Test Verification of Root Insert Contact Interface for Wind Turbine Blade

Two modeling methods of the root insert for wind turbine blade are presented,i.e.,the local mesh optimization method(LMOM)and the global modeling method(GMM).Based on the optimized mesh of the local model for the metal contact interface,LMOM is proposed to analyze the load path and stress distribution characteristics,while GMM is used to calculate and analyze the stress distribution characteristics of the resin layer established between the bushing and composite layers of root insert.To validate the GMM,a tension test is carried out.The result successfully shows that the shear strain expresses a similar strain distribution tendency with the GMM′s results.

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.

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.

Gaps,challenges and possible solution for prediction of wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue crack initiation

The prediction of wheel/rail rolling contact fatigue(RCF)crack initiation during railway operations is an important task.Since RCF crack evolution is influenced by many factors,its prediction process is complex.This paper reviews the existing approaches to predict RCF crack initiation.The crack initiation region is predicted by the shakedown map.By combining the shakedown map with various initiation criteria and the critical plane method,the crack initiation life is calculated.The classification,methodologies,theories and applications of these approaches are included in this paper.The advantages and limitations of these methods are analyzed to provide recommendation for RCF crack initiation prediction.This review highlights that wheel/rail dynamic characteristic,complex working conditions,surface defects and wear all affect the RCF crack initiation.The optimal selection of criteria is essential in the crack initiation prediction.Based on the research gap regarding the challenging process of crack initiation prediction detailed in this review,a proposed prediction process of RCF crack initiation is proposed to achieve a more accurate result.

Research on the influence of flexible wheelset rotation effect on wheel rail contact force

Purpose-Under the high-speed operating conditions,the effects of wheelset elastic deformation on the wheel rail dynamic forces will become more notable compared to the low-speed condition.In order to meet different analysis requirements and selecting appropriate models to analyzing the wheel rail interaction,it is crucial to understand the influence of wheelset flexibility on the wheel-rail dynamics under different speeds and track excitations condition.Design/methodology/approach-The wheel rail contact points solving method and vehicle dynamics equations considering wheelset flexibility in the trajectory body coordinate system were investigated in this paper.As for the wheel-rail contact forces,which is a particular force element in vehicle multibody system,a method for calculating the Jacobian matrix of the wheel-rail contact force is proposed to better couple the wheel-rail contact force calculation with the vehicle dynamics response calculation.Based on the flexible wheelset modeling approach in this paper,two vehicle dynamic models considering the wheelset as both elastic and rigid bodies are established,two kinds of track excitations,namely normal measured track irregularities and short-wave irregularities are used,wheel-rail geometric contact characteristic and wheel-rail contact forces in both time and frequency domains are compared with the two models in order to study the influence of flexible wheelset rotation effect on wheel rail contact force.Findings-Under normal track irregularity excitations,the amplitudes of vertical,longitudinal and lateral forces computed by the flexible wheelset model are smaller than those of the rigid wheelset model,and the virtual penetration and equivalent contact patch are also slightly smaller.For the flexible wheelset model,the wheel rail longitudinal and lateral creepages will also decrease.The higher the vehicle speed,the larger the differences in wheel-rail forces computed by the flexible and rigid wheelset model.Under track short-wave irregularity excitations,the vertical force amplitude computed by the flexible wheelset is also smaller than that of the rigid wheelset.However,unlike the excitation case of measured track irregularity,under short-wave excitations,for the speed within the range of 200 to 350 km/h,the difference in the amplitude of the vertical force between the flexible and rigid wheelset models gradually decreases as the speed increase.This is partly due to the contribution of wheelset's elastic vibration under short-wave excitations.For low-frequency wheel-rail force analysis problems at speeds of 350 km/h and above,as well as high-frequency wheel-rail interaction analysis problems under various speed conditions,the flexible wheelset model will give results agrees better with the reality.Originality/value-This study provides reference for the modeling method of the flexible wheelset and the coupling method of wheel-rail contact force to the vehicle multibody dynamics system.Furthermore,by comparative research,the influence of wheelset flexibility and rotation on wheel-rail dynamic behavior are obtained,which is useful to the application scope of rigid and flexible wheelset models.

Rolling contact fatigue nondestructive testing system for a bearing inner ring based on initial permeability

Due to the fact that rolling contact fatigue is not easily detected, and residual life is not easily evaluated in the early stage of bearing life, a nondestructive testing method based on initial permeability is proposed. By analyzing the crack propagation mechanism, a fatigue state detection system based on differential signals is designed. A simulation model of the detection of the inner ring of the pulse signal is established by using the electromagnetic field simulation software. The effects of the height of the coil, the inner and outer diameter, the number of coil turns, the diameter and the height of the ferrite core of the probe on the differential value of the detection signal are simulated. The parameter combination of the maximum difference value of the signal is used as the structural size of the sensor, and the detection sensor is designed and fabricated. Moreover, the bearing fatigue test system is designed, and the bearing is tested. The results show that the system has good detection ability for rolling contact fatigue and verifies the mechanism and trend of crack propagation in the inner ring of the bearing.

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.

结合GUM和MCM的R-Test在机标定不确定度评定方法

R-Test因其高精度、操作便捷等的优点而被广泛应用于五轴数控机床转动轴误差测量,但其测量精度受其标定不确定度的影响。针对原有通用的评定方法不能对接触式R-Test标定不确定度进行准确评定,基于接触式R-Test标定原理,提出一种结合GUM和MCM的在机标定不确定度评定方法,首先分析了不确定度的影响因素并采用变参数方法确定了其灵敏度系数,然后根据测量不确定度导则(GUM)计算传感器位置的标准不确定度分量,最后采用蒙特卡洛方法(MCM)实现对标定方法最终的不确定度评定。通过具体的评定实例,与独立使用GUM的评定结果进行对比,验证了该方法具有更高的评定精度。

Evaluation of Contact Pressure in Bending under Tension Test by a Pressure Sensitive Film

The contact pressure acting on the sheet/tools interface has been studied because of growing the concern about the wear of tools. Recent studies make use of numerical simulation software to evaluate and correlate this pressure with the friction and wear generated. Since there are many studies that determine the coefficient of friction in sheet metal forming by bending under tension (BUT) test, the contact pressure between the pin and the sheet was measured using a film that has the ability to record the applied pressure. The vertical force applied to pin was also measured. The results indicate that the vertical force is more accurate to set the contact pressure that using equations predetermined. It was also observed that the contact area between the sheet and the pin is always smaller than the area calculated geometrically. The friction coefficient was determined for the BUT test through several equations proposed by various authors in order to check if there is much variation between the results. It was observed that the friction coefficient showed little variation for each equation, and each one can be used. The material used was the commercially pure aluminum, alloy Al1100.

Daily testing for contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection and attendance and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in English secondary schools and colleges:an open-label,cluster-randomised trial

Background:School-based COVID-19 contacts in England have been asked to self-isolate at home,missing key educational opportunities.We trialled daily testing of contacts as an alternative to assess whether this resulted in similar control of transmission,while allowing more school attendance.

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.

Analysis of wheel-rail adhesion redundancy considering the thirdbody medium on the rail surface

Purpose–In response to the problem of insufficient traction/braking adhesion force caused by the existence of the third-body medium on the rail surface,this study aims to analyze the utilization of wheel-rail adhesion coefficient under different medium conditions and propose relevant measures for reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion to ensure the traction/braking performance and operation safety of trains.Design/methodology/approach–Based on the PLS-160 wheel-rail adhesion simulation test rig,the study investigates the variation patterns of maximum utilized adhesion characteristics on the rail surface under different conditions of small creepage and large slip.Through statistical analysis of multiple sets of experimental data,the statistical distribution patterns of maximum utilized adhesion on the rail surface are obtained,and a method for analyzing wheel-rail adhesion redundancy based on normal distribution is proposed.The study analyzes the utilization of traction/braking adhesion,as well as adhesion redundancy,for different medium under small creepage and large slip conditions.Based on these findings,relevant measures for the reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion are derived.Findings–When the third-body medium exists on the rail surface,the train should adopt the low-level service braking to avoid the braking skidding by extending the braking distance.Compared with the current adhesion control strategy of small creepage,adopting appropriate strategies to control the train’s adhesion coefficient near the second peak point of the adhesion coefficient-slip ratio curve in large slip can effectively improve the traction/braking adhesion redundancy and the upper limit of adhesion utilization,thereby ensuring the traction/braking performance and operation safety of the train.Originality/value–Most existing studies focus on the wheel-rail adhesion coefficient values and variation patterns under different medium conditions,without considering whether the rail surface with different medium can provide sufficient traction/braking utilized adhesion coefficient for the train.Therefore,there is a risk of traction overspeeding/braking skidding.This study analyzes whether the rail surface with different medium can provide sufficient traction/braking utilized adhesion coefficient for the train and whether there is redundancy.Based on these findings,relevant measures for the reasonable and optimized utilization of adhesion are derived to further ensure operation safety of the train.

基于红外热成像技术的隧道隐性渗漏检测研究

因隧道安装防火板,导致渗漏水隐蔽在防火板背后而不易被检测。红外热成像技术是一种非接触无损检测技术,因其对表面热辐射敏感而常用来测量表面温度场。基于红外热成像技术,研究了隧道隐性渗漏车载非接触式快速检测的可行性。结合某长江隧道,将红外热成像设备安置在车顶,对隧道内表面实施移动扫描拍照,并通过红外热力图准确识别既有渗漏点。为了进一步验证检测效果,人为在防火板表面涂湿模拟渗漏,该渗漏过程可以被准确识别。通过试验研究,表明红外热成像技术用于隧道隐性渗漏车载非接触式快速检测是可行性的。

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.

Stress-deformed state of cylindrical specimens during indirect tensile strength testing

In this study, the interaction between cylindrical specimen made ofhomogeneous, isotropic, and linearlyelastic material and loading jaws of any curvature is considered in the Brazilian test. It is assumed thatthe specimen is diametrically compressed by elliptic normal contact stresses. The frictional contactstresses between the specimen and platens are neglected. The analytical solution starts from the contactproblem of the loading jaws of any curvature and cylindrical specimen. The contact width, correspondingloading angle （2 ^0）, and elliptical stresses obtained through solution of the contact problems are used asboundary conditions for a cylindrical specimen. The problem of the theory of elasticity for a cylinder issolved using Muskhelishvili＇s method. In this method, the displacements and stresses are represented interms of two analytical functions of a complex variable. In the main approaches, the nonlinear interactionbetween the loading bearing blocks and the specimen as well as the curvature of their surfacesand the elastic parameters of their materials are taken into account. Numerical examples are solved usingMATLAB to demonstrate the influence of deformability, curvature of the specimen and platens on thedistribution of the normal contact stresses as well as on the tensile and compressive stresses actingacross the loaded diameter. Derived equations also allow calculating the modulus of elasticity, totaldeformation modulus and creep parameters of the specimen material based on the experimental data ofradial contraction of the specimen.

Multi-point Contact of the High-speed Vehicle-turnout System Dynamics

The wheel-rail contact problems, such as the number, location and the track of contact patches, are very important for optimizing the spatial structure of the rails and lowering the vehicle-turnout system dynamics. However, the above problems are not well solved currently because of having the difficulties in how to determine the multi-contact, to preciously present the changeable profiles of the rails and to establish an accurate spatial turnout system dynamics model. Based on a high-speed vehicle-turnout coupled model in which the track is modeled as flexible with rails and sleepers represented by beams, the line tracing extreme point method is introduced to investigate the wheel-rail multiple contact conditions and the key sections of the blade rail, longer nose rail, shorter rail in the switch and nose rail area are discretized to represent the varying profiles of rails in the turnout. The dynamic interaction between the vehicle and turnout is simulated for cases of the vehicle divergently passing the turnout and the multi-point contact is obtained. The tracks of the contact patches on the top of the rails are presented and the wheel-rail impact forces are offered in comparison with the contact patches transference on the rails. The numerical simulation results indicate that the length of two-point contact occurrence of a worn wheel profile and rails is longer than that of the new wheel profile and rails; The two-point contact definitely occurs in the switch and crossing area. Generally, three-point contact doesn’t occur for the new rail profile, which is testified by the wheel-rails interpolation distance and the first order derivative function of the tracing line extreme points. The presented research is not only helpful to optimize the structure of the turnout, but also useful to lower the dynamics of the high speed vehicle-turnout system.

接触式R-test测量仪的标定和球心坐标计算方法研究

接触式R-test测量仪是一种利用3个接触式位移传感器测量安装在机床主轴上的精密测量球相对于工作台的三维位移的装置,可用于检测五轴数控机床旋转轴的几何误差、联动误差等。如何提高测量仪的标定和球心坐标计算精度是R-test开发的难点。为此,研究了接触式R-test测量仪的结构模型和测量坐标系构建方法,并在测量坐标系中利用机床直线轴的高精度微量移动构建测量仪的在机标定模型,并推导了球心坐标的精确计算模型。最后,通过开发样机进行实际测量,验证所提出方法的精度和可行性。

The influence of jaw's curvature on the results of the Brazilian disc test

The general contact problem of a disc squeezed between jaws of arbitrary curvature is considered employing Muskhelishvili’s complex potentials.Taking advantage of the general solution introduced,the closed-form expressions for the stresses along strategic loci(loaded rim,loaded diameter,disc’s center)are obtained,in terms of the ratio r of the disc’s to the jaw’s curvature.Then,the effect of r(as well as that of the relative stiffness of the disc’s and jaw’s materials dictating the contact arc)on the stress distribution along these loci is explored.It is concluded that,for both smooth contact(zero friction)and contact with friction,the role of the jaw’s curvature is significant not only along the disc-jaw contact arc(as it could be expected),but also all along the loaded diameter.On the other hand,it is indicated that the stress field at the disc’s center is more or less insensitive to the jaw’s curvature assuming that r lies within the range(0,0.67)or in other words within the limits defined by the two standardized suggestions,i.e.that of American Society for Testing and Materials(ASTM)(plane loading platens with r ? 0)and that of International Society for Rock Mechanics(ISRM)(curved jaws with r ? 0.67).The upper limit of this range is a kind of compromise between the need to make the stress field at the disc’s center independent of the boundary conditions while keeping at the same time the contact angle large enough to reduce the stress concentration and the risk for premature fracture initiation far from the disc’s center.For jaws with radius of curvature exceeded by that suggested by ISRM,the stress field at the disc’s center is significantly influenced.Especially for jaws with radius approaching that of the disc,the stress field at the disc’s center is dramatically distorted rendering Hondros’ formula inapplicable and the test results erroneous.

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.