Assessing the fast non-Hertzian methods for wheel-rail rolling contact integrated in the vehicle dynamics simulation

Abstract

An accurate and high-efficiency contact model is essential for vehicle-track dynamic simulation and wear prediction. The paper attempts to assess the influence of different contact models on the offline and online simulation, as well as wear depth distribution. Taking CONTACT as the reference model, the computational accuracies of contact model combinations (i.e. Hertz + FASTSIM, Kik–Piotrowski (KP) + FASTSIM, modified Kik–Piotrowski (MKP) + FASTSIM and MKP + FaStrip) are evaluated. Typical wheel-rail contact cases and two dynamic simulation cases (track irregularity and curve track) have been studied. Results show that MKP + FaStrip achieves the best computational accuracy in calculating the typical wheel-rail contact situation, besides, the yaw angle has a significant influence on the contact patch shape and pressure distribution, especially when the wheel flange contacts with a rail corner. With regard to the vehicle passing the track with the lateral irregularity, both KP + FASTSIM and MKP + FaStrip models can achieve relatively good agreement on dynamic results and wear prediction with CONTACT. In terms of the curve track, MKP + FaStrip has better accuracy on dynamic results and wear due to a larger yaw angle.