Simulation of Vehicle—Track Interaction in the Medium Frequency Range with Application to Analysis of Mechanical and Thermal Loading in Contact

SUMMARY In the paper there arc studied mechanical phenomena in the railway wheel-rail contact zone, which can influence wear of the wheel treads in the form of polygonalization as well as wear of the rail heads in the form of corrugations. The considerations are carried out by means of two mechanical models, i.e. using the discrete-continuous “macro-scale” model of the electric locomotive running gear—track system for simulation of dynamic interaction between the vehicle and the track in the medium frequency range as well as using a model of the wheel-rail contact zone for investigation of the thermal effects occurring on the wheel- and rail-treads. By means of these models the lrictional power density and temperature fields in the wheel-rail contact zones caused by the tangential forces and local sliding are determined for various operating conditions.