Wheel nominal rolling radius difference on hunting stability of railway vehicle system under a speed-dependent nonlinear creep model

Abstract

This study presents the hunting stability of a railway vehicle system in a speed-dependent nonlinear creep model with varying wheel conicity and nominal rolling radius. Integrating Kalker’s linear theory, Hertz contact theory, and the heuristic nonlinear creep model, the speed-dependent nonlinear creep model, including the semi-axis lengths and nonconstant creep coefficients with the varying vehicle speed, is investigated. Modeling and dynamic analysis are performed in the 28 degrees-of-freedom railway vehicle system. Lyapunov’s indirect method is used to calculate critical hunting speed of a railway vehicle system. The effects of suspension system parameters, various wheel conicities, and nominal rolling radii on the hunting stability are illustrated and compared. Critical hunting speeds calculated for the original design wheel are consistently better than those obtained from worn wheels with differences in wheel conicity and wheel rolling radius. Notably, critical hunting speeds calculated for a softer stiffness and damping decrease as wheel nominal rolling radius difference increases. Furthermore, the critical hunting speed calculated by the harder stiffness and damping increase as wheel nominal rolling radius difference increases. Analysis of hunting stability further shows that vehicle running speed must be considered when the wheel nominal rolling radius is less than the origin design wheel radius. Therefore, the effects of various wheel nominal rolling radius differences on hunting stability is an important research issue.