Modelling of dynamic contact length in rail grinding process

Abstract

Rails endure frequent dynamic loads from the passing trains for supporting trains and guiding wheels. The accumulated stress concentrations will cause the plastic deformation of rail towards generating corrugations, contact fatigue cracks and also other defects, resulting in more dangerous status even the derailment risks. So the rail grinding technology has been invented with rotating grinding stones pressed on the rail with defects removal. Such rail grinding works are directed by experiences rather than scientifically guidance, lacking of flexible and scientific operating methods. With grinding control unit holding the grinding stones, the rail grinding process has the characteristics not only the surface grinding but also the running railway vehicles. First of all, it’s important to analyze the contact length between the grinding stone and the rail, because the contact length is a critical parameter to measure the grinding capabilities of stones. Moreover, it’s needed to build up models of railway vehicle unit bonded with the grinding stone to represent the rail grinding car. Therefore the theoretical model for contact length is developed based on the geometrical analysis. And the calculating models are improved considering the grinding car’s dynamic behaviors during the grinding process. Eventually, results are obtained based on the models by taking both the operation parameters and the structure parameters into the calculation, which are suitable for revealing the process of rail grinding by combining the grinding mechanism and the railway vehicle systems.

Keywords

rail grinding / contact length / dynamic model / Hamiltonian system / grinding stone / rail grinding car

References

[1] Grassie S L. Rail corrugation: advances in measurement, understanding and treatment. Wear Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems. 2005, 258(7-8): 1224-1234

[2] Schoech W. Rolling contact fatigue mitigation by grinding. In: Proceedings of the Rail Tech Europe Conference, Utrecht, 2007

[3] Kanematsu Y, Satoh Y. Influence of Type of Grinding Stone on Rail Grinding Efficiency. Quarterly Report of RTRI. 2011, 52(2): 97-102

[4] Zarembski A M, Palese J. Does rail grinding reduce rail defects? Rail Track & Structures, 2011, 2: 32-35

[5] Schoech W, Heyder R, Grohmann D. Contact geometry and surface fatigue guidelines for appropriate rail maintenance. In: 7th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems. Brisbane, 2006

[6] Zarembski M, Patel P. Estimating maintenance costs for mixed higher speed passenger and freight rail corridors. In: Proceedings of the 2010 Joint Rail Conference. Urbana, 2010

[7] Cheng C C, Kuo F C, Wang C P, Cheng W N. Vibration analysis of rail grinding using a twin-wheel grinder. Journal of Sound and Vibration, 2011, 330(7): 1382-1392

[8] Hempe T, Siefer T. Rail grinding as an integral part of technically and economically efficient track maintenance. Rail Engineering International, 2007, 36(3): 6-12

[9] Schoech W. Managing rail life to match performance and cut costs. Railway Gazette International, 2010, 8: 45-48

[10] Schoech W. Development of rail grinding strategies in Europe. In: Conference on Railway Engineering. Rail Achieving Growth: Conference Proceeding. Melbourne, 2006, 95-100

[11] Marcel T. High speed grinding preventative rail care. In: 7th World Congress on High Speed Rail. Beijing, 2010

[12] Scroba P, Roney M. Rail grinding best practices. In: Proceedings of AREMA Annual Conference. Chicago, 200 3

[13] Hyde P, Fletcher D. Planning rail grinding using crack growth predictions. Journal of Mechanical Systems for Transportation and Logistics, 2010, 3(1): 216-225

[14] Rowe W B. Principles of Modern Grinding Technology. Burlington: Science Publishers, 2009

[15] Grassie S L, Gregory R W, Harrison D, Johnson K L. The dynamic response of railway track to high frequency vertical exitation. Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science, 1982, 24(2): 77-90

[16] Grassie S L, Cox S J. The dynamic response of railway track with flexible sleepers to high frequency vertical excitation. In: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part D: Transport Engineering, 1984: 117-124

[17] Calogero F, Leyvraz F. On a new technique to manufacturing isochronous Hamiltonian systems: classical and quantal treatments. Journal of Nonlinear Mathematical Physics, 2007, 14(4): 612-636

Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by innovation projects for graduate students in Beijing Jiaotong University under Grant M11JB00350, M13C100010 and M12C100010, the innovation research project of Railway Ministry of PR China under Grant 2010G008-C. In addition, the authors would like to show their gratitude to the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and constructive suggestions with regard to the revision of the paper.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg