Influence of Polygonal Wear on Dynamic Performance of Wheels on High-Speed Trains

With increases in train speed and traffic density, polygonal wear of railway wheels arises accordingly, induced by the high impacts between wheels and rails, which is mainly related to operation safety and ride comfort of vehicle system. This work evaluates the effect of wheel polygon shape on the dynamic performance of the wheel set through numerical simulations. The finite element model, which includes the wheel set and the slab track, was established using ANSYS software to study the effects of polygonal wear on the dynamic behavior of the railway wheel. In the model, wheel–rail interaction forces caused by polygon wheel shape were solved using Universal Mechanisms of wear and were then entered into the finite element model. Using the simulation model, the influence of the harmonic order and out-of-roundness amplitude of wheel polygon on transient dynamic behaviors of the wheels namely, the displacement, acceleration, and von Misses equivalent stress were investigated. The results indicate that both the maximum dynamic displacement and Von Misses equivalent stress of the wheel plate show proportionality to the OOR amplitude, the harmonic order and the vehicle velocity. Besides, the maximum Von Misses equivalent stress occurs close to the wheel center, whereas the maximum displacement occurs close to the wheel tread. The findings will provide a theoretical basis for on-board detection methods of monitoring wheel polygonal wear.