On use of characteristic wavelengths of track irregularities to predict track portions with deteriorated wheel/rail forces

• Published in: Mechanical systems and signal processing Vol. 104; pp. 264 - 278
• Main Authors: Xu, Lei, Zhai, Wanming, Chen, Zhaowei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Frequencies; Irregularities; Mathematical models; Prediction method; Predictions; Railway tracks; Railways; Studies; System dynamics; Three dimensional models; Time-frequency analysis method; Track irregularity; Vehicle-track coupled dynamics; Vehicles; Wavelet transforms; Wheel/rail interaction; Track irregularity; Wheel/rail interaction; Time-frequency analysis method; Prediction method; Vehicle-track coupled dynamics
• ISSN: 0888-3270; 1096-1216
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ymssp.2017.10.038

•Unification of wavelet transform and Wigner-Ville distribution.•A coupled non-linear vehicle-track model.•Revealing the correlations between track irregularities and railway system dynamics.•Modeling procedures for predicting track portions with serious wheel/rail forces. The dynamic performance of the railway vehicles and the guiding tracks is mainly governed by the wheel-rail interactions, particularly in cases of track irregularities. In this work, a united model was developed to investigate the track portions subject to violent wheel/rail forces triggered by track irregularities at middle-low frequencies. In the modeling procedures, a time-frequency unification method combining wavelet transform and Wigner-Ville distribution for characterizing time-frequency characteristics of track irregularities and a three-dimensional nonlinear model for describing vehicle-track interaction signatures were developed and coupled, based on which the method for predicting track portions subject to deteriorated wheel/rail forces was proposed. The theoretical models developed in this paper were comprehensively validated by numerical investigations. The significance of this present study mainly lies on offering a new path to establish correlation and realize mutual prediction between track irregularity and railway system dynamics.