CREEPAGES AND CREEP FORCES OF WHEELSET AND TRACK WITH TWO TYPES OF PROFILES IN ROLLING CONTACT

The contact geometry, creepages and creep forces of wheelset/track with two types of wheel profiles in rolling contact are investigated with numerical methods. In the analysis of the creep forces with Kalker theory of three-dimensional elastic bodies in rolling contact with non-Hertzian form, finite element method is first employed to determine differences of elastic displacement of wheel/rail at the contact point. The differences of elastic displacement of wheel/rail are caused by elastic deformations of wheelset/track. Therefore, they are used to revise the influence coefficients obtained with the formula of Boussinesq and Cerruti in Kalker's theory, so that the effects of the structural elastic deformations are taken into account in the analysis of the present paper. Numerical results indicate that the action behavior between a wheelset with worn profile and track is greatly different from that of wheelset with coned profile and track under the same moving condition of wheelset. The present results are very useful in further study on wear, rolling contact fatigue and service life of wheel/rail since they can provide theoretical basis for adopting corresponding measures to protect wheel/rail from failure. It is also found that rails with cant angle of 1/40 do not match a wheelset with worn profile very well. So the profile of wheelset with worn profile that is widely used in railway field at present and the existing cant angle of rails need to be further improved.