Study on numerical method to predict wheel/rail profile evolution due to wear

• Published in: Wear Vol. 269; no. 3; pp. 167 - 173
• Main Authors: Chongyi, Chang, Chengguo, Wang, Ying, Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 18.06.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer simulation; Contact; Discs; Disks; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element; Finite element method; Friction, wear, lubrication; Machine components; Mathematical models; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Mesh smooth; Rails; Wear; Wheel/rail profile; Wheels; Mesh smooth; Wear; Wheel/rail profile; Finite element; Contact; Flange; Wear test; Rolling; Rail vehicle; Rolling contact; Forming; Mechanical contact; Experimental study; Modeling; Finite element method; Smoothing; Kinematics; Non linear effect; Tribology
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wear.2009.12.031

A wheel/rail profile wear prediction methodology is developed and applied to the wheel/rail disc test about the wear of flange and gauge. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element dynamic analysis code ABAQUS is used in the simulation of wheel/rail disc rolling contact process. The implicit and explicit finite element methods have been coupled to analyze wheel/rail disc rolling contact process. In the FEM (finite element method) simulation, a material model with bilinear kinematic hardening property was used. The wear model is based on Archard's wear model. A cubic spline interpolation algorithm was applied on wear distribution and the updated wheel/rail profiles. Laplacian smoothing with area weights is used to smooth the meshes of wheel and rail disc. The simulation results are compared with measurements of laboratory wear test and the effectiveness of the wear prediction methodology was verified.