Switch Panel wear loading–a parametric study regarding governing train operational factors

The acting forces and resulting material degradation at the running surfaces of wheels and rail are determined by vehicle, track, interface and operational characteristics. To effectively manage the experienced wear, plastic deformation and crack development at wheels and rail, the interaction between vehicle and track demands a system...

Effects of wheelset flexibility on the simulation of vehicle-track interaction at crossings

Though numerical models based on multi-body dynamics (MBD) are often used to simulate the vehicle-track interaction at crossing impact, their relative capabilities and accuracy were not discussed. This paper aims to investigate the influence of wheelset flexibility on the result of crossing impact simulation in the frequency range 0–500 Hz. Two...

Fast estimation of the derailment risk of a braking train in curves and turnouts

When a train runs through a turnout or a sharp curve, high lateral forces occur between the wheels and rails. These lateral forces increase when the couplers between the wagons are loaded in compression, i.e., a rear locomotive pushing a train or a front locomotive braking a train. This study quantifies these effects for a train that begins...

The influence of friction coefficient and wheel/rail profiles on energy dissipation in the wheel/rail contact

The influence of friction coefficient and wheel/rail profiles on energy dissipation in the wheel/rail contact

This work investigates the energy dissipation in a wheel/rail system through friction work modeling. In order to identify the effect of the friction coefficient on the energy dissipation in the wheel/rail contact, several simulations were performed using a 3D multibody model of a railway vehicle implemented in the software package VI-Rail Adams,...