Numerical and experimental study on contact force fluctuation between wheel and rail considering rail flexibility and track conditions

Abstract

In the present study, we propose an analytical model with a multibody system considering three-dimensional wheel/rail contact geometry and ballasted track characteristics. Suppression of contact force fluctuation between the wheel and rail is desirable from the viewpoint of ensuring running safety, track maintenance, ride comfort, and minimizing the impact of factors such as noise on the surrounding environment. In the present paper, we investigate the effects of the support characteristics of ballasted track on the interaction between vehicles and tracks. Numerical simulations and experiments are carried out for railway vehicle motion under a wide range of ballasted track rigidities. Using the proposed numerical model, we obtain analysis results that are consistent with experimental results under two different track conditions: one simulating ordinary ballasted track characteristics and one that provides sufficient space between sleepers and ballasts. The proposed numerical simulation can accurately analyze vehicle motion running over ballasted track by considering the interaction between the vehicle and the track.