Effects of structure elastic deformations of wheelset and track on creep forces of wheel/rail in rolling contact

Abstract In this paper the mechanism of effects of structure elastic deformations of bodies in rolling contact on rolling contact performance is briefly analyzed. Effects of structure deformations of wheelset and track on the creep forces of wheel and rail are investigated in detail. General structure elastic deformations of wheelset and track are previously analyzed with finite element method, and the relations, which express the structure elastic deformations and the corresponding loads in the rolling direction and the lateral direction of wheelset, respectively, are obtained. Using the relations, we calculate the influence coefficients of tangent contact of wheel and rail. The influence coefficients stand for the occurring of the structure elastic deformations due to the traction of unit density on a small rectangular area in the contact area of wheel/rail. They are used to revise some of the influence coefficients obtained with the formula of Bossinesq and Cerruti in Kalker’s theory of three-dimensional elastic bodies in rolling contact with non-Hertzian form. In the analysis of the creep forces, the modified theory of Kalker is employed. The numerical results obtained show a great influence exerted by structure elastic deformations of wheelset and track upon the creep forces.