Prediction of rail wear band evolution under excitation by periodic track irregularities and its influence on vehicle dynamic performance

Periodic track irregularities (PTIs) are an important and sensitive source of vehicle vibration and have attracted considerable attention from railway researchers. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the irregularities themselves, with limited investigation of how the rail wear band (RWB) generated by PTIs excitation affects vehicle responses. To assess this, a three-dimensional rail wear prediction model is developed in this study to simulate the evolution of the RWB under PTIs conditions and then the effect of RWB excitation on the vehicle dynamic performance is investigated. The results show that the spatial trace of the rail contact points generated by the PTIs also exhibits clear periodic characteristics. Accordingly, the distribution pattern of the RWB also reflects these periodic features. The excitation of the periodic rail wear band (PRWB) has a negative effect on the vehicle running stability, especially when the vehicle is traveling at speeds that induce coupling resonance, which exacerbates the consequences. As the wear level of the PRWB increases, there is also an escalation in the vibration of the carbody. Furthermore, the amplitude of the change in the wheelset balance position resulting from variations in rail profile is found to serve as an effective descriptor for characterizing the wear intensity of PRWB, and the vibration amplitude of the carbody exhibits a clear linear correlation with PRWB excitation. The research results are helpful for understanding the relationship between PRWB excitation and vehicle vibration behavior and serve as a theoretical basis for track maintenance and profile optimization.