Modelling of rail corrugation growth in curved track

Abstract

Railway corrugation is a frequent wavy wear pattern on the running surface of the rails. The corrugation generated on curved tracks is investigated through numerical modelling. A time domain simulation model is developed that allows the growth of the corrugation to be simulated through models of the coupled vibration of the railway vehicle track system and the wheel rail rolling contact mechanics. The simulation tool that is developed consists of several models connected in a feedback loop to account for both the short-term dynamic vehicle track interaction and the long-term damage. Steady state curving conditions of the railway vehicle track system are first obtained by means of a steady state curving model. The vehicle track interaction model comprises a finite element wheel set model, a frequency domain semi analytical track model with discrete support and a non-Hertzian non steady state 3D wheel rail contact model based on the variational theory by Kalker. The wheel rail interaction forces are also obtained from the contact model. Wear calculations are performed using the contact parameters obtained from the wheel rail contact model. Several case studies applying the current prediction model are also investigated. The frequency range of interest for the dynamic response is up to about 5000 Hz while for corrugation it is up to around 1000 Hz Multiple mechanisms can contribute to the formation and development of the rail corrugation, such as transient dynamic interaction and stick slip self-excited vibration caused by falling friction or mode coupling. The relative contribution of each mechanism is investigated using the simulation model by comparisons of results from different cases and the dominant resonances of the system are identified. In addition, the effect of the coupling between the two rails and wheels as well as the effect of multiple wheel/rail interactions are investigated. Interactions are investigated. The coupling between the two rails and wheels two rails and wheels is found to is found to have little effect on the resultant roughness growth. The multiple wheel/rail interaction has a significant effect on the track responses. Wave response reflections between the wheels generate fluctuations in the track responses at high frequency. However, from the time domain results, the domain results, the presence of multiple wheels also has little effect on the roughness growth. A series of case studies are carried out to investigate the influences of operational track series of case studies, track and vehicle parameters on the resultant wear and roughness growth on the low rail of curves. In this situation, the creep force at the wheel/rail contact is usually in the saturation region. Thus, in most cases, the self-excited vibration caused by falling friction of the main mechanism. The corresponding mechanism. The corresponding frequencies of the corrugation are related to wheel set modes which modes are associated with rutting corrugation or to the P2 resonance.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Jiawei Wang: orcid.org/0009-0000-7844-6238

ORCID for David Thompson: orcid.org/0000-0002-7964-5906

ORCID for Giacomo Squicciarini: orcid.org/0000-0003-2437-6398

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