The Impact of Structural Deformations of Wheelset and Rail on Wheel-Rail Contact

Abstract

The distribution of the stresses in the rolling contact of a railway vehicle can be very sensitive to changes of the relative kinematics. Such changes can be caused by displacements of the wheelset in the track, but also by structural deformations of the wheelsets and the rails. A detailed knowledge of the stress distribution in the wheelrail contact is the basis for an accurate analysis of the wear. Therefore, a simulation model is developed, which describes a passenger coach running on a track. In this model, the structural dynamics of the wheelsets and rails are taken into account, and a detailed model for the rolling contact is used. Using this model, the influence of the structural dynamics of wheelsets and rails on the wheel-rail contact is investigated.