Numerical Simulation of Wheel/Rail Noise of the Ballastless Track

Abstract

Compared to the ballasted track, the ballastless tracks produce higher environmental noise emissions than the ballasted track. In order to predict wheel/rail noise emissions caused by train running on the ballastless track of high speed railway, the vehicle-track coupled dynamics and the sound radiation theory have been used to develop a model which can simulate wheel/rail rolling noises. The acoustics performances of wheel/rail noises caused by high speed train running on four kinds of tracks have been studied. The results indicate that wheel/rail noises wayside on the ballastless tracks are 5–6 dB(A) higher than on the ballasted tracks. Most noise emission energies on ballastless track are mainly focused in the high frequency range of 400–4000 Hz. In the frequency bands below 800 Hz, the wheel/rail noise emissions are due to sub-rail structures and wheel/rail sound pressure levels show very much complex. With rising of train speed, the wheel/rail equivalent sound pressure level will increase piecewise linearly.