Influences of tram characteristics on wheel polygonal wear evolution

Abstract

Out-of-round railway wheels continuously excite the vehicle-track system resulting in fluctuating contact forces, creepages and contact patch dimensions. Accompanied wear may influence the evolution of railway wheel polygonization significantly. Especially in curves with a small radius of curvature, which are typical for tramway networks, considerable wear originates due to high lateral creepages. Long-time wear development studies with dominant polygonal orders reveal that some wavelengths of the wheel enlarge rapidly, whereas others are nearly unaffected or even suppressed. Therefore, fundamental research on significant influences on wheel polygonal wear evolution is required. A representative generic system model of a two-axle tram bogie is set up, and a suitable wear model is implemented to study the polygonal wear evolution at trams. It has been found that structural modes can dominate wheel polygonal wear evolution. In particular, the compliance and interaction of the wheelset axle and the resilient wheel may be essential. Evolution tendency curves are presented, and influences on the wheel polygonization are discussed. Wheel–rail contact conditions and related creepage–creep force characteristics appear to be decisive for the evolution directions and evolution speeds.