The effect of high-speed train meet on wheel wear at different speeds
Industrial Lubrication and Tribology
ISSN: 0036-8792
Article publication date: 27 September 2021
Issue publication date: 13 October 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Considering that a meet between high-speed trains can generate aerodynamic loads, this study aims to investigate the effect of high-speed train meet on wheel wear at different speeds to provide a more accurate wheel wear model and a new idea for reducing wheel wear.
Design/methodology/approach
The train speed was set at 250, 300, 350 and 400 km/h separately, and a vehicle system dynamics model was constructed using the parameters of an actual high-speed train on a line. The aerodynamic forces arising from constant-speed train meet were then applied as additional excitation. Semi-Hertzian theory and Kalker’s simplified theory were used to solve the wheel/rail contact problems. The wheel wear was calculated using Archard wear model. The effect of train meet on wheel wear was analyzed for the whole train, different cars and different axles.
Findings
According to the results, all wheels show a wear increase in the case of one train meet, compared to the case of no train meet. At 250, 300, 350 and 400 km/h, the total wheel wear increases by 4.45%, 4.91%, 7.57% and 5.71%, respectively, over the entire operational period. The change in speed has a greater impact on wheel wear increase in the head and tail cars than in the middle car. Moreover, the average wear increase in front-axle wheels is 1.04–2.09 times that in rear-axle wheels on the same bogie.
Practical implications
The results will help to analyze wheel wear more accurately and provide theoretical guidance for wheel repair and maintenance from the perspective of high-speed train meet.
Originality/value
At present, there is a lot of focus on the impact of high-speed train meet on the dynamic performance of vehicles. However, little research is available on the influence of train meet on wheel wear. In this study, a vehicle dynamics model was constructed and the aerodynamic forces generated during high-speed train meet were applied as additional excitation. The effect of train meet on wheel wear was analyzed for the whole train, different cars and different axles. The proposed method can provide a more accurate basis for wear prediction and wheel repair.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51975038).
Citation
Zhu, A., Zhu, A., Ma, C., Yang, J., Hou, X., Li, H. and Sun, P. (2021), "The effect of high-speed train meet on wheel wear at different speeds", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 73 No. 7, pp. 1019-1027. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-03-2021-0072
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited