Numerical Analysis of Rolling Contact Fatigue in Common Turnouts of Iran Railway Track

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

School of Railway Engineering, Iran University if Science and technology

Abstract

The highest amount of reported failures in railway tracks are due to turnout problems. The main causes of these breakdowns are: high wheel-rail contact forces, creep in the switchblade due to changes in the rail profile, and inconsistency in the rail profile during wheel passage over wing rail and crossing nose causing collision forces. In this paper, a new method for crossing nose fatigue life prediction is presented using the finite element approach. Firstly, a dynamic model containing a complete turnout (switch and crossing panels) is simulated. For a closer look at the crossing, the results of the forces generated by the dynamic model are transmitted to a more detailed static model at specific sections, because of the criticality of this point in track. Then the stress and strain results are extracted to perform the fatigue analysis on the crossing nose in order to calculate fatigue crack initiation life and critical planes. Regarding the importance of fatigue and the necessity of investigating the effect of different variables on fatigue life, a parametric study is conducted considering variables such as velocity, wagon weight, and turnout type. The results indicate that the predicted fatigue life in UIC60 crossings is less than U33. Also, by increasing the wagon weight and speed or the curve radius fatigue crack initiation life have increased.ntrol the lock-in regime.

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References

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Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 52, Issue 8
November 2020
Pages 2029-2044

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