Interaction of subway LIM vehicle with ballasted track in polygonal wheel wear development

This paper develops a coupled dynamics model for a linear induction motor (LIM) vehicle and a subway track to investigate the influence of polygonal wheels of the vehicle on the dynamic behavior of the system. In the model, the vehicle is modeled as a multi-body system with 35 degrees of freedom. A Timoshenko beam is used to model the rails which are discretely supported by sleepers. The sleepers are modeled as rigid bodies with their vertical, lateral, and rolling motions being considered. In order to simulate the vehicle running along the track, a moving sleeper support model is introduced to simulate the excitation by the discrete sleeper supporters, in which the sleepers are assumed to move backward at a constant speed that is the same as the train speed. The Hertzian contact theory and the Shen- Hedrick-Elkins’ model are utilized to deal with the normal dynamic forces and the tangential forces between wheels and rails, respectively. In order to better characterize the linear metro system (LMS), Euler beam theory based on modal superposition method is used to model LIM and RP. The vertical electric magnetic force and the lateral restoring force between the LIM and RP are also taken into consideration. The former has gap-varying nonlinear characteristics, whilst the latter is considered as a constant restoring force of 1 kN. The numerical analysis considers the effect of the excitation due to polygonal wheels on the dynamic behavior of the system at different wear stages, in which the used data regarding the polygonal wear on the wheel tread are directly measured at the subway site.     

轨下支承失效对直线轨道动态响应的影响

建立了基于Timoshenko梁模型的车辆/轨道耦合动力学模型,分析轨下支承失效对直线轨道动态响应的影响. 钢轨被视为连续弹性离散点支承上的无限长Timoshenko梁,通过假设轨道系统刚度沿纵向分布发生突变来模拟轨下支承失效状态. 推导了考虑钢轨横向、垂向和扭转运动的轮轨滚动接触蠕滑率计算公式. 利用Hertz法向接触理论和沈氏蠕滑理论计算轮轨法向力及轮轨滚动接触蠕滑力. 采用移动轨下支承模型的车辆/轨道耦合系统激振模式,考虑轨枕离散支承对系统动力响应的影响. 通过新型显式积分法求解车辆/轨道耦合动力学系统运动方程,由数值分析计算得到不同轨下支承失效状态下直线轨道的动态响应. 结果表明,轨下支承失效对直线轨道变形及加速度有显著的影响,随着失效轨下支承个数的增加,轮轨相互作用力和轨道部件的位移、加速度将会急剧增大,将加速失效区段线路状况的恶化.      

Experimental Investigation on Dynamic Railway Sleeper/Ballast Interaction

In ballasted railway tracks, one of the important components that supports the rails and distributes wheel/rail loading onto the ballast supporting formation is a railway sleeper (sometimes is also called a “railway tie”). This paper presents results of an experimental modal analysis of prestressed concrete sleepers in both free-free and in-situ conditions, incorporating the dynamic influence of sleeper/ballast interaction. Dynamic interaction between concrete sleepers and ballast support is crucial for the development of a dynamic model of railway track capable of predicting its responses to impact loads due to wheel flats, wheel burns, irregularities of the rail, etc. In this study, four types of prestressed concrete sleepers were in-kind provided by the Australian manufacturers. The concrete sleepers were tested using an impact hammer excitation technique over the frequency range of interest, 0–1600 Hz. Frequency response functions (FRFs) were measured using PULSE modal testing system. The FRFs were processed using STAR modal analysis package to identify natural frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes for the sleepers. The conclusions are presented about the effect of the sleeper/ballast interaction on the dynamic properties of prestressed concrete sleepers and their use for predicting railway track dynamic responses.     

Interaction of railway vehicles with track in cross-winds

This paper presents a framework for simulating railway vehicle and track interaction in cross-wind. Each 4-axle vehicle in a train is modeled by a 27-degree-of-freedom dynamic system. Two parallel rails of a track are modeled as two continuous beams supported by a discrete-elastic foundation of three layers with sleepers and ballasts included. The vehicle subsystem and the track subsystem are coupled through contacts between wheels and rails based on contact theory. Vertical and lateral rail irregularities simulated using an inverse Fourier transform are also taken into consideration. The simulation of steady and unsteady aerodynamic forces on a moving railway vehicle in cross-wind is then discussed in the time domain. The Hilber–Hughes–Taylor α-method is employed to solve the nonlinear equations of motion of coupled vehicle and track systems in cross-wind. The proposed framework is finally applied to a railway vehicle running on a straight track substructure in cross-wind. The safety and comfort performance of the moving vehicle in cross-wind are discussed. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework and the associated computer program can be used to investigate interaction problems of railway vehicles with track in cross-wind.     

Interaction between a moving two-mass oscillator and an infinite homogeneous structure: Green’s functions method

This paper deals with the interaction between a vehicle and a slab track using the model of moving wheel for both frequency and time-domain. The vehicle is reduced to a moving two-mass oscillator and the slab track is considered as an infinite structure consisting of elastically supported double Euler–Bernoulli beams. In order to perform the time-domain analysis, a semi-analytical method based on the outstanding properties of the time-domain Green’s functions of the slab track has been developed. The method allows the computing of the non-linear wheel/rail contact (the contact loss and the non-linear contact stiffness). The vehicle/track interaction due to the polygonal wheel and the corrugated rail has been investigated and the running velocity and non-linear wheel/rail contact influences have been pointed out.     

Effects of the dynamic wheel–rail interaction on the ground vibration generated by a moving train

Based on Biot’s fully dynamic poroelastic theory, the dynamic responses of the poroelastic half-space soil medium due to quasi-static and dynamic loads from a moving train are investigated semi-analytically. The dynamic loads are assumed to be generated from the rail surface irregularities. The vehicle dynamics model is used to simulate the axle loads (quasi-static loads) and the dynamic loads from a moving train. The compatibility of the displacements at wheel–rail contact points couple the vehicle and the track–ground subsystem, and yield equations for the dynamic wheel–rail loads. A linearized Hertzian contact spring between the wheel and rail is introduced to calculate the dynamic loads. Using the Fourier transform, the governing equations for the poroelastic half-space are then solved in the frequency–wavenumber domain. The time domain responses are evaluated by the fast inverse Fourier transform. Numerical results show that the dynamic loads can make important contribution to dynamic response of the poroelastic half-space for different train speed, and the dynamically induced responses lie in a higher frequency range. The ground vibrations caused by the moving train can be intensified as the primary suspension stiffness of the vehicle increases.     

Finite element analysis for train–track–bridge interaction system

This article deals with the dynamic analysis of train–track–bridge interaction system using the finite element method. In this interaction system, each four-wheelset vehicle in the train is modeled by a mass–spring–damper system with 10 degrees of freedom; the rails and the bridge decks are modeled as a number of Bernoulli–Euler beam elements, while the elasticity and damping properties of the rail bed are represented by continuous springs and dampers. The equation of motion for the interaction system is presented in matrix form with time-dependent coefficients. The correctness of the proposed procedure is illustrated by a comparison with the numerical result from the existing literature. Several numerical examples are chosen to investigate the effect of two types of vehicle models, two types of bridge models and three damping values of bridge on the maximum dynamic responses of train, track and bridges.     

非理想,非完整约束轮对动力学

推导了铁道车辆轮轨接触的非完整约束方程,考虑动坐标系产生的惯性力和轮对转子的陀螺力矩效应,用绝对坐标法建立了任意曲线轨道动坐标系下轮对的动力学方程,通过迭代Ｌａｇｒａｎｇｅ乘子同时得到接触点法向力（理想约束反力）和蠕滑力（非理想约束反力）针对两点接触引起的数值积分不稳定,提出了等铲一点接触模型,最后通过验算了Ｐａｓｃａｌ考题和仿真自由轮对的蛇行运动,验证了本文轮轨模型的正确性,为开发通用车辆动力学     

Effect of rail corrugation on vertical dynamics of railway vehicle coupled with a track

The effect of rail corrugation on the vertical dynamics of railway vehicle coupled with a curved track is investigated in detail with a numerical method when a wheelset is steadily curving. In the calculation of rail corrugation we consider the combination of Kalker‘s rolling contact theory modified, a model of material loss on rail running surface, and a dynamics model of railway vehicle coupled with a curved track. In the establishment of the dynamic model, for simplicity, one fourth of the freight car without lateral motions,namely a wheelset and the equivalent one fourth freight car body above it, is considered. The Euler beam is used to model the rails and the track structure under the rails is replaced with equivalent springs, dampers and mass bodies. The numerical results show the great influence of the rail corrugation on the vibration of the parts of the vehicle and the track, and the some characters of rail corrugation in development.     

Effect of a scratch on curved rail on initiation and evolution of plastic deformation induced rail corrugation

A calculation model is put forward to analyze the effect of a scratch on the running surface of a curved rail on initiation and growth of plastic deformation induced rail corrugation when a wheelset is steadily and repeatedly curving. The numerical method considers a combination of Carter’s two-dimensional contact theory, a two-dimensional elastic–plastic finite element model and a vertical dynamics model of railway vehicle coupled with a curved track. A concept of feedback between the corrugation development and the vertical coupling dynamics of the wheelset and track is involved. The cyclic ratchetting effect of the rail material under repeated contact loadings is taken into account. The numerical results indicate that when a vehicle runs on rails with a scratch the contact vibration between the wheel and rail occurs at large amplitude, and rail corrugation due to plastic deformation initiates and develops. The corrugation has a tendency to move along the running direction and its evolution rate decays as wheelset passages increase. The passing frequencies of the plastic deformation induced corrugation depend on the natural frequencies of the track. The residual stresses stabilize after a limited number of wheelset passages. The residual strains increase at a reduced rate with increasing wheelset passages.     

铁路轮轨冲击振动模拟与试验

对铁路工程领域普遍存在的轮冲击振动现象进行了理论与试验研究。将车辆模拟为移动的多刚体振动系统,将轨道描述成离散点支承连续梁结构,应用快速数值 发方法编制了ＶＩＣＴ模拟软件,实现了轮轨冲击振动的快速数值模拟。     

钢轨横向不均匀支撑刚度对钢轨波磨的影响

建立了钢轨波浪形磨损计算模型,模型中考虑车辆轨道垂向横向耦合动力学行为、轮轨三 维滚动接触力学行为和轮轨材料摩擦磨损的循环相互作用关系. 发展了相应的计算程序,并 用1: 1试验装置验证了理论模型. 详细分析了实际线路上由轨枕离散支撑导致的钢轨横向不均匀刚度和不同行车速度对曲线钢轨接触表面不均匀磨损的影响. 通过数值分析可知： (1)列车通过曲线钢轨时,轨枕离散支撑导致的钢轨横向不均匀刚度易引发曲线钢轨波磨的形 成和发展;(2)这类钢轨波磨具有与轨枕间距几乎相等的波长和28~35mm的短波长,这个短波长不均匀磨损主要是由轮轨高频接触振动引起;(3)同一个转向 架4个车轮作用下形成的钢轨波磨最大深度波谷的分布是不同的;(4) 改变过车速度不能有效地抑制轨枕离散支撑导致的钢轨波磨形成和发展速度.     

Thermal stresses and shakedown in wheel/rail contact

Summary  Sliding friction between railway wheels and rails results in considerable contact temperatures and gives rise to severe thermal stresses at the surfaces of the wheels and rails. An approximate analytical solution is presented for a line contact model. The increased bulk temperature of the wheel after a long period of constant operating conditions is also taken into account. The thermal stresses have to be superimposed on the mechanical contact stresses. They reduce the elastic limit of the wheel and rail, and yielding begins at lower mechanical loads. When residual stresses build up during the initial cycles of plastic deformation, the structure can carry higher loads with a purely elastic response in subsequent load cycles. This phenomenon is referred to as shakedown. Due to the distribution of temperature, the rail surface is generally subjected to higher stresses than the wheel surface. This can cause structural changes in the rail material and hence rail damage. Received 7 May 2002; accepted for publication 3 September 2002     

Interface damage and its effect on vibrations of slab track under temperature and vehicle dynamic loads

This paper presents a three-dimensional finite element model to investigate the interface damage occurred between prefabricated slab and CA (cement asphalt) mortar layer in the China Railway Track System (CRTS-II) slab track system. In the finite element model, a cohesive zone model with a non-linear constitutive law is introduced and utilized to model the damage, cracking and delamination at the interface. Combining with the temperature field database obtained from the three-dimensional transient heat transfer analysis, the interface damage evolution as a result of temperature change is analyzed. A three-dimensional coupled dynamic model of a vehicle and the slab track is then established to calculate the varying rail-supporting forces which are utilized as the inputs to the finite element model. The non-linearities of the wheel–rail contact geometry, the wheel–rail normal contact force and the wheel–rail tangential creep force are taken into account in the model. Setting the maximum interface damaged state calculated under temperature change as the initial condition, the interface damage evolution and its influence on the dynamic response of the slab track are investigated under the joint action of the temperature change and vehicle dynamic load. The analysis indicates that the proposed model is capable of predicting the initiation and propagation of cracks at the interface. The prefabricated slab presents lateral warping, resulting in severe interface damage on both the sides of the slab track along the longitudinal direction during temperature drop process, while the interface damage level does not change significantly under vehicle dynamic loads. The interface damage has great effects on the dynamic responses of the slab track.     

铁路车辆/轨道耦合系统在竖向冲击载荷作用下动态响应的计算机模拟研究

车辆与轨道的动态相互作用,是铁路轮轨接触式运输系统中最基本的问题之一,它直接制约着铁路运营速度的提高和运载重量的增加,也影响着铁路安全运行。本文采用有限元方法,对我国C61型运煤货车,按照车辆/轨道系统的实际几何形状、材料性质和边界条件建立了包括车辆和轨道系统的有限元模型,应用大型非线性动力分析程序LS-DYNA3D来模拟车辆通过轨道错牙接头时的轮/轨动态响应过程。计算结果表明车轮和轨道之间的竖向动态接触力大约是静轮载的2倍,与已有的现场试验结果基本吻合。因此应用有限元方法研究车辆/轨道耦合系统是可行和可靠的。     

Computer simulation of the interaction between a wheel and a corrugated rail

The paper discusses the problems of modelling and simulation of the wheel/rail contact in the case when geometrical irregularities of the rail are taken into account. The iterative method for determining the geometrical relationship between the profile of a rigid rail and the trajectory of the centre of a rigid wheel is presented. The computer code that implements this method is a part of the computer model of the wheel/rail system. The model allows the case when the wheel loses contact with the rail and afterwards hits the rail. Simulation analysis is focused on the question as to whether the wheel bouncing off and on the rail may occur under normal operation conditions. The other question is how this bouncing influences the pressure forces between the wheel and the rail, and how it influences the stress distribution within the contact zone.     

A novel method to estimate derailment probability due to track geometric irregularities using reliability techniques and advanced simulation methods

Track irregularities have a dramatic impact on the response and vibration of a railway vehicle and on the interaction between wheel and rail. The random nature of the track structure and constituent materials and the effects of other factors such as maintenance conditions and transit traffic give rise to the random nature of track irregularities. This research provides a method to estimate the derailment probability of a railway vehicle where track irregularities are assumed to be random, and the interaction of the track and the moving train is considered using advanced dynamic analysis. For this purpose, the limit state function of derailment was estimated using the response surface method and advanced simulation. The probability of derailment was then estimated using a Level 3 reliability method.     

Periodically supported beam on a visco-elastic layer as a model for dynamic analysis of a high-speed railway track

This paper presents a theoretical study of the steady state dynamic response of a railway track to a moving train. The model for the railway track consists of two beams on periodically positioned supports that are mounted on a visco-elastic 3D layer. The beams, supports, and layer are employed to model the rails, sleepers and soil, respectively. The axle loading of the train is modeled by point loads that move on the beams. A method is presented that allows to obtain an expression for the steady-state deflection of the rails in a closed form. On the basis of this expression, the vertical deflection of the rails and its dependence on the velocity of the train is analyzed. Critical velocities of the train are determined and the effect of the material damping in the sub-soil and in the pads on the track response at these critical velocities is studied. The effect of the periodic inhomogeneity of the track introduced by the sleepers is studied by comparing the dynamic response of the model at hand to that of a homogenized model, in which the supports are assumed to be not discrete but uniformly distributed along the track. It is shown that the vertical deflection of the rails predicted by these models resemble almost perfectly. The elastic drag experienced by a high-speed train due to excitation of track vibrations is studied. Considering a French TGV as an example, this drag is calculated using both the inhomogeneous and homogenized models of the track and then compared to the rolling and aerodynamic drag.     

A modular algorithm for linear, periodic train-track models

Summary  An algorithm is presented which can be used for the investigation of a large variety of train-track models. These models only have to fulfil the requirements of linearity and periodicity with respect to the track length direction. A steady-state solution is obtained for a vehicle moving on a tangent track with constant velocity. The algorithm itself can be split into three modules: one for the whole train-track system, one for the track, and one for a single rail support. These modules and their interfaces are described in detail. The article demonstrates the applicability of the algorithm by means of four examples. The first example shows the influence of the sleeper elasticity on the sleeper motion. The second one illustrates the effect of an advanced subsoil model on the wheel/rail contact force. Subsequently, as a further example, the compliance frequency-response functions of a ballasted track and a rigid track are compared. The last example deals with the sleeper passing excitation. Here, it is shown that even in the case of resonance, the wheel/rail contact-force fluctuations remain below ten percent of the static value. Received 17 January 2000; accepted for publication 18 August 2000