The Effect of Rail Defects on Track Impact Factors
Abstract: This paper
investigates the effect of rail surface flaws on track impact factors for
different track and vehicle conditions. For this purpose, a three dimensional
vehicle and track as an integrated system modelled. The vehicle, consists car
body, bogie frames and wheelsets, is able to model displacements in vertical
and lateral directions. Hertz nonlinear springs utilized to connect vehicle to
track structure and simulate the interaction between vehicle and track
subsystems. Track comprises rail, rail pads, sleepers and ballast materials.
For each subsystem, matrices of mass, stiffness and damping were formed and
then matrices of total vehicle-track system considering their interaction were
solved. Using FRA spectral density functions for rail irregularities, response
of track with different qualities to train dynamic forces obtained. Rail random
irregularities, rail corrugation and rail joint defects as three common rail
defects have been considered in this paper. For each defects the influence of
different track and train parameters on impact factor has been studied. The
results of study indicate substantial effect of the depth and frequency of the
rail flaws on impact factors. This paper has also considered the impact of
vehicle speed on dynamic forces and found the critical speed for each case.
Author: Mohammad Fesharaki,
Ton-Lo Wang
Journal Code: jptsipilgg160054
