An integrated approach for predicting wear and fatigue damage of wheels and rails in SMRT systems

Abstract

This study investigates the wear and fatigue damage of wheels and rails in SMRT systems by developing a theoretical approach via integrating multibody dynamics simulation, contact mechanics analysis and experimental testing. The approach is well validated by comparing the theoretical predictions with the practical observations. It is found that a large track curvature and a large velocity increase the wear and the contact stress which can promote the occurrence of fatigue. Moreover, the modelling shows that the profile optimization of wheels can efficiently increase their resistance to wear and fatigue. By adjusting the geometry of the wheel profile, a reduction of 16.1% in maximum wheel wear depth can be achieved, and the maximum subsurface von Mises stress between the wheel and rail reduces by about 19%. These results help to understand the wear and fatigue of wheels and rails in SMRT systems and also provide suggestions for their further improvement.