Research on Rail Rolling Contact Fatigue Life of Curve Negotiation

Abstract

Wheel/rail rolling contact fatigue is one of the most complicated and urgent problems of the key techniques of railway system, and seriously influences the operational safety. A finite element (FE) model of wheel/rail rolling contact of curve negotiation is established based on the single-layer track dynamic model, which is considering the effect of rail straightening residual stress, the actual wheel tread and the elastic support of rail track bed. The nominal stress approach is applied to study the rail rolling contact fatigue life with two residual stress-state conditions. Results show that the distribution of rolling contact fatigue life on the surface of rail head presents obvious peaks and troughs with a specific wavelength in the longitudinal direction, which are approximately corresponding to the peaks and troughs of the contact force. Meanwhile, the rail rolling contact fatigue life firstly increases and then decreases while the running speed varying from 150 to 250 km/h, and decreases while the axle load varying from 13 to 17 tonnes which do not fully show a linear law.