Non-Hertzian contact analysis of heavy-haul locomotive wheel/rail dynamic interactions under changeable friction conditions. Issue 6 (3rd June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Yunfan; Guo, Xinru; Sun, Yu; Ling, Liang; Zhang, Tao; Wang, Kaiyun; Zhai, Wanming
• Is Part Of: Vehicle system dynamics. Volume 60:Issue 6(2022)
• Page Start: 2167
• Page End: 2189
• Publication Date: 2022-06-03
• Subjects: Railway dynamics -- heavy-haul locomotive -- wheel-rail contact -- non-Hertzian contact -- friction condition; Motor vehicles -- Dynamics -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 629.231
• DOI: 10.1080/00423114.2021.1902541
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0042-3114

Abstract

Abstract : Wheel/rail dynamic interactions of heavy-haul locomotives are highly nonlinear and complicated due to large traction/braking loads, frequent anti-slip control and complex wheel/rail interface environment. The wheel/rail dynamic interactions, as well as the interface wear, have been broadly studied by means of Hertzian contact analysis, but the wheel/rail contact is essentially a non-Hertzian contact matter. This paper presents an investigation of wheel/rail dynamic interaction characteristics of a heavy-haul locomotive subjected to traction loads and dry/wet/greasy contact conditions by using a non-Hertzian contact method. For this purpose, a comprehensive dynamics model for heavy-haul train-track coupled system is established. A non-Hertzian normal contact algorithm and the corresponding creep algorithm are employed to solve wheel/rail normal and tangential contact forces, respectively. The locomotive wheel/rail dynamic interactions under different contact conditions and traction efforts are discussed. The simulation results indicate that traction effort and friction conditions have a significant influence on the contact forces, distributions of contact stress, and adhesion-slip region in the wheel/rail contact patch. The adhesion-slip distributions were found to reach full-slip under the lowest-adhesion conditions, and the wear index was found to be much greater than that under dry condition.