Numerical simulation of wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue considering yaw angle and interfacial conditions

Abstract

The accuracy of wheel-rail rolling contact force is of great significance for vehicle dynamics simulation. A wheel-rail rolling contact behavior model considering wheelset yaw is proposed. The NORM algorithm is adopted to solve the wheel-rail normal contact problem. The extended creep force model (ECF) is used for the tangential contact problem, which considers different interfacial conditions, temperature in the contact area, and the elastoplastic behavior of the third body. A fatigue life prediction framework based on the critical plane method is introduced to evaluate the contact fatigue damage under the coupled influence of yaw angle and interfacial conditions. The effects of wheel yaw angle on the contact pressure and wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue life under dry and wet conditions are investigated. The results show that under both dry and wet conditions, increasing yaw angle leads to an increase in creepage, expansion of the sliding area, enhancement of creep force, and a simultaneous increase in the contact area temperature, thereby causing an increase in the fatigue parameter (FP). The wheel-rail rolling contact life with yaw angle is shortened compared to that without yaw, and the life decay rate under wet condition is slower than that under dry condition.

Keywords

yaw angle / wheel-rail rolling contact / elastic-plastic behavior / rolling contact fatigue

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Central South University