Effect of Curved Track on Rolling Contact Fatigue at Wheel-Rail Interface in Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit
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Date
2015-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The thesis presents analysis of rolling contact fatigue at the wheel-rail interface using FEM. The aim of the thesis is to determine the stress/strain and predict the fatigue life at the wheel-rail rolling contact by considering the effect of rolling contact coefficient of friction and track conditions. For this thesis the outer wheel is taken for FEA model. A three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element model of the wheel-rail rolling contact is used to investigate the effect of coefficient of friction and track conditions. The loading and boundary conditions of the wheel-rail rolling contact is accurately shown by the FE ANSYS simulation. The FE fatigue analysis is based on the stress life analysis. The effect of mean stress correction is considered in the analysis. The effect of rolling contact friction coefficient and track conditions are also investigated in detail using the FEA. The obtained results show that the friction coefficient at the wheel-rail contact has significant effect on the fatigue life at the wheel-rail rolling contact and track condition has a large effect on the fatigue crack initiation and in all cases the minimum fatigue life is indicated at the rail rolling contact. The obtained maximum equivalent alternating stresses at the rail rolling contact at constant coefficient of friction, (μ = 0.15) at different track conditions ( at straight, transition and circular curve track paths) are 278.24Mpa, 292.7Mpa, 384.81Mpa, The results are very useful for wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue resistance design, inspection and maintenance for Addis Ababa light rail transit in Ethiopia.
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Wheel-rail rolling contact fatigue (RCF), track conditions (straight, transition curve, circular curve track), rolling contact coefficient of friction, stress-life and fatigue life