Measurement of Wheel/Rail Load Environment in Relation to Rolling Contact Fatigue

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Cummings ◽  
Richard Reiff ◽  
John Punwani ◽  
Todd Snyder
Keyword(s):  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Rolling Stock ◽  
Wheel Load ◽  
Track Condition ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
The Impact

Wheel shelling is the cause of a large portion of high impact wheels. The impact loads produced by shelled wheels can have a damaging effect on track components and rolling stock components such as roller bearings. Shelling is the result of accumulated rolling contact fatigue (RCF) on the wheel tread surface. To investigate the specific conditions in which RCF occurs, wheel load environment data was collected from a car with three-piece trucks running in revenue service. This data was analyzed in order to assess the predicted wheel RCF through the use of shakedown theory. An inspection team was dispatched to several track sites to record relevant information including a visual assessment of rail RCF, rail transverse profile, rail age, and friction conditions. Track inspections were conducted at locations where RCF was predicted and at nearby locations with similar curvature where RCF was not predicted. Conclusions from this work are the following: • The curve unbalance condition, which is a combination of curvature, track superelevation, and train speed, is an important factor in RCF. • Wheel/rail coefficient of friction in curves can be a factor in RCF. • Rail profile and track condition were not found to be major factors in this analysis. • Observed rail RCF condition correlated reasonably well with predictions when considering extenuating factors such as rail age and curve unbalance conditions. • Confidence was increased in previous simulation results involving three-piece trucks due to good correlation with the results of the current work. The simulation results suggest that the use of AAR approved M-976 trucks should reduce RCF. This work was funded by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Wheel Defect Prevention Research Consortium (WDPRC), a group that includes railroads, private car owners, and industry suppliers.

Investigating the Rolling Contact Fatigue in Rails Using Finite Element Method and Cohesive Zone Approach

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Ghodrati ◽  
Mehdi Ahmadian ◽  
Reza Mirzaeifar
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Method ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Grain Boundaries ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Cohesive Zone ◽  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Wheel Load ◽  
Element Method

A micromechanical-based 2D framework is presented to study the rolling contact fatigue (RCF) in rail steels using finite element method. In this framework, the contact patch of rail and wheel is studied by explicitly modeling the grains and grain boundaries, to investigate the potential origin of RCF at the microstructural level. The framework incorporates Voronoi tessellation algorithm to create the microstructure geometry of rail material, and uses cohesive zone approach to simulate the behavior of grain boundaries. To study the fatigue damage caused by cyclic moving of wheels on rail, Abaqus subroutines are employed to degrade the material by increasing the number of cycles, and Jiang-Sehitoglu fatigue damage law is employed as evolution law. By applying Hertzian moving cyclic load, instead of wheel load, the effect of traction ratio and temperature change on RCF initiation and growth are studied. By considering different traction ratios (0.0 to 0.5), it is shown that increasing traction ratio significantly increases the fatigue damage. Also by increasing traction ratio, crack initiation migrates from the rail subsurface to surface. The results also show that there are no significant changes in the growth of RCF at higher temperatures, but at lower temperatures there is a measurable increase in RCF growth. This finding correlates with anecdotal information available in the rail industry about the seasonality of RCF, in which some railroads report noticing more RCF damage during the colder months.

Influence of Track Properties on Railway Vehicles Wheel Rolling Contact Fatigue

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Mehrgou ◽  
Asghar Nasr
Keyword(s):  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Tangential Force ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Vehicle Dynamic ◽  
Wheel Load ◽  
Wheel Rolling ◽  
Railway Passenger ◽  
Vehicle Dynamic Simulation

Track properties such as rail inclination, cant and gage width have significant effects on the shape and size of the contact area, actual rolling radius and also on the contact forces. These effects have an important role on rolling contact fatigue (RCF) which is known to be the main reason for large portion of wheel set failures and expenses. In this study the wheel/rail dynamic interaction of an Iranian railway passenger wagon under different track features are investigated through simulations using ADAMS\Rail commercial software. The calculated results regarding contact load data and contact properties of the wheel and rail are used for fatigue analysis to calculate RCF damage to the wheels using damage criteria based on previous studies. Two major parameters believed to have serious roles on RCF are the contact stress and the tangential force in the contact patch. These parameters are obtained from vehicle dynamic simulation studies. This paper describes and compares effects of different track geometries in curved and tangent tracks on RCF of three different wheel profiles S1002, P8 and IR1002. It is to identify which combinations of wheel load, wheel and rail profiles and vehicle dynamic characteristics cause RCF more severely.

The Impact of Surface Integrity by Hard Turning vs. Grinding on Rolling Contact Fatigue

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Warren ◽  
Y. B. Guo
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Emission ◽  
Surface Integrity ◽  
Hard Turning ◽  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Fatigue Tests ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Polished Surface ◽  
Emission Signal ◽  
The Impact

Hard turning and grinding are finishing processes for the manufacture of precision components such as bearings, gears, and cams. However, the effects of distinct surface integrity by hard turning vs. grinding on rolling contact life are poorly understood. Four representative surface types were prepared: as-turned, as-ground, turned and polished, and ground and polished. Surface integrity was characterized by surface topography, microstructure, and micro/nanohardness. Fatigue tests were performed with an acoustic emission sensor and the signal processing software. The amplitude of acoustic emission signal is the most stable and sensitive signal to fatigue failure. The turned surface may have a longer life (>84%) than the ground one with equivalent surface finish.

Fatigue Prediction of Thin Hard Coatings on the Steel Races of Hybrid Bearings Used in High Speed Machine Tool Spindles

1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 835-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.-D. Bouzakis ◽  
N. Vidakis ◽  
S. Mitsi
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Fem Simulation ◽  
Bearing Steel ◽  
Fatigue Tests ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Hard Coatings ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
The Impact

The rotational speed requirements of high speed spindles led to the development of angular contact hybrid bearings with ceramic balls and PVD coated steel races. The present paper describes the determination and verification of critical coating fatigue stresses as well as their application in coating fatigue calculations of hybrid bearing steel races. The fatigue limits of low temperature deposited PVD coatings were determined by the application of the impact test and its FEM simulation and validated through their successful application to the prediction of coating life in rolling contact fatigue tests of coated specimens. Furthermore, a computer program that performs the quasi-static simulation of bearing operation yields the necessary kinematic and dynamic parameters for a FEM simulation of the stress field occurring in coated rings. For the investigated bearings, an adequate fatigue performance of their coated races was computationally exhibited. The PVD coated hybrid bearings illustrated the predicted behavior in long duration tests, conducted in full scale test rigs.

Friction management on a Chinese heavy haul coal line

2012 ◽  
Vol 226 (6) ◽  
pp. 630-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Lu ◽  
Tony W Makowsky ◽  
Donald T Eadie ◽  
Kevin Oldknow ◽  
Jilian Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
State Of The Art ◽  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Friction Modifier ◽  
Rail Wear ◽  
Lateral Forces ◽  
Heavy Haul ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Total Network

Shuohuang Railway (SHR) is one of the major coal carriers in China, with a total network length of 590 km running from Shenchi to Huanghua. Significant increases in annual operating tonnage have generated accelerated rail wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) growth problems for many sharper/lower radius curves. In order to address these rail problems, SHR is interested in the state-of-the-art total friction management (TFM) technology currently deployed by some North American heavy haul freight railroads and is evaluating the impact of TFM via a field trial at SHR’s Yuanping subdivision. This paper presents an evaluation of the effect of TFM, which includes both wayside gauge face lubrication and wayside application of a thin film top of rail friction modifier on control of lateral forces, rail wear and RCF.

scholarly journals Investigation on Wheel-Rail Contact and Damage Behavior in a Flange Bearing Frog with Explicit Finite Element Method

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Yibin Liu ◽  
Jingmang Xu ◽  
Zhiguo Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Numerical Procedure ◽  
Contact Forces ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Wheel Load ◽  
Explicit Finite Element ◽  
Contact Behavior

Flange bearing frogs are designed to provide continuous rolling surfaces for trains traveling on the through line, but the interaction between wheel and rail in a diverging line is more complex than that for a common crossing, especially including flange bearing mode and multipoint contact during the transition. The wheel load will be transited from tread to flange and back to tread, which will intensify the wheel-rail interaction. In this paper, a numerical procedure is presented for the analysis of wheel-rail rolling contact behavior and damage prediction for the flange bearing frog. The three-dimensional explicit finite element (FE) model of a wheel passing the flange bearing frog is established to obtain the dynamic wheel-rail interaction in both the facing and the trailing move. The evolution of contact forces, the distribution of adhesion-slip regions, and shear surface stress and microslip at the contact patch are revealed. Then, the competition relationship between RCF (rolling contact fatigue) and wear of a flange bearing frog is analyzed. The results of numerical simulations can contribute to an understanding of the mechanism of the transient rolling contact behavior and provide guidance in design optimization for flange bearing frogs.

scholarly journals Criteria for predicting the initiation of rolling contact fatigue damage in the railway wheels and rails

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-148
Author(s):  
V. I. Sakalo ◽  
A. V. Sakalo
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Rolling Contact Fatigue ◽  
Contact Fatigue ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Rolling Contact ◽  
Rolling Stock ◽  
Cyclic Loads ◽  
Contact Patch ◽  
Maximal Shear Stress

The development of the methods for modeling the processes of accumulation of the rolling contact fatigue damage and wear of the wheels of the railway rolling stock and the rails is particularly relevant due to the increase in the number of damage in the recent times. The work is underway to improve the chemical composition and the technology of production of the wheel and rail steels in order to improve their mechanical properties and ability to resist the action of the cyclic loads. The methods of modeling allow predict the possibility of initiation of the fatigue cracks during operation with the sufficient accuracy in the short time. The selection of the contact fatigue criterion and the mathematical apparatus for calculating the stresses at points in the area adjacent to the contact patch to obtain the numerical values of the criterion components is the most important task in the development of modeling methods. The article focuses on the approaches based on the Dang Van criterion and the shakedown diagram for a material undergoing to the action of cyclic loads, which are widely used to assess the rolling contact fatigue of the wheels and rails. The assumptions that are used in the development of the algorithms concerning the models of the contacting bodies, the shape of the contact patch, the distribution of the contact pressures and the tangential forces are considered. The approach using the criterion — the amplitude value of the maximal shear stress is also considered. The example of modeling the process of accumulation of the rolling contact fatigue damage in the wheel of the freight car is given. The results of modeling are presented in the form of the isolines of the criterion values and the accumulated damage in the area adjacent to the contact patch. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under Grant [17-01-00815A].

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