Study on the damage mechanism of high-speed turnout switch rails on large ramps

Abstract

The influence of ramps on the transient rolling contact characteristics and damage mechanisms of switch rails remains unclear, presenting substantial challenges to the safety of railway operations. To this end, this paper constructs a transient rolling contact finite element model of the wheel-rail in switch under different ramps using ANSYS/LSDYNA method, and analyzes the tribology and damage characteristics when the wheel passes through the switch at a uniform speed. Our research findings reveal that the vibration induced in the switch rail during the wheel load transfer process leads to a step-like increase in the contact force. Moreover, the interaction between the wheel and the rail primarily involves slip contact, which may significantly contribute to the formation of corrugations on the switch rail. Additionally, the presence of large ramps exacerbates switch rail wear and rolling contact fatigue, resulting in a notable 13.2% increase in switch rail damage under 40‰ ramp conditions compared to flat (0‰ ramp) conditions. Furthermore, the large ramps can alter the direction of crack propagation, ultimately causing surface spalling of the rail. Therefore, large ramps intensify the dynamic interactions during the wheel load transfer process, further aggravating the crack and spalling damage to the switch rails.

Keywords

wear / rolling contact fatigue / high-speed turnout / large ramps

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Central South University