Chapter 2: W/R contact geometry

REF

1. Fundamentals of rail vehicle dynamics, by A.H. Wickens,Loughborough University,

UK, Swets&Zeitlinger,2003.

2. Handbook of railway vehicle dynamics, Tylor&Francis Group,2006

3. Specifications: EN14363, EN13803, UIC518, UIC519, EN13715

Instructor: Awel Mohammedseid (PhD)

1.1 Basic concepts
1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size
1.3 Wheelset and definition of most important size
1.4 Rail Profile
1.5 Railway Track
1.6 Wheelset on Track
1.7 Wheel/Rail Contact Geometry Calculation
1.8 Generate of Contact in SIMPACK
1.9 Forces acting on a rail vehicle system
 1.1 Basic concepts

 The railway train running along a track is one of the most

complex dynamic systems in engineering.

 It has many degrees of freedom, the interaction between

wheel and rail involves both complex geometry of the
wheel tread and the rail head and non-conservative forces
generated by the relative motion in the contact area.

 The history of railway engineering provided many

practical examples of dynamic problems which have
degraded performance and safety
 1.1 Basic concepts

 The two essential feature operations, running in a train of

vehicle and guidance by the track, cause a problem to the
railways.
 Inadequate guidance on the curved results in high
lateral forces between wheel and rail.

 Rapid wear of wheels and rail and possible of the

derailment.

 Dynamic and static instability, and excessive

response to the track irregularities and other
features of track geometry, can result in poor ride
quality and high stress and can contribute
 1.1 Basic concepts
 Operation in train involves the control of forces acting between the
vehicles in the train as the propulsive and breaking forces are varied in
the response to the train traversing hills and valleys.

 High frequency interaction between wheel and rail can lead to damage
the contacting surface and corrugation of the of the rail, and excessive
noise and vibrations.

 The dynamics of railway vehicle represent a balance the force acting

between wheel and rail, the inertia force and the force exerted by the
suspension and articulation .

 The basic characteristics of wheel rail interface such as:

 Friction
 Geometry
 And elasticity in the contact area is hardly under the designer.
 1.1 Basic concepts

 The objective of suspension design

 To control the motion of the railway vehicle

 Good ride quality is achieved
 At the same time dynamic loads and the tendency to
derail are reduced to the acceptable levels, whilst
running on track with geometry that is economically
acceptable.
 1.1 Basic concepts

Railway wheelset
 The basic unit of railway vehicle is wheelset .

Figure. 2.1 Railway wheelset

 1.1 Basic concepts

 The conventional wheelset of today has the following feature: it

consists two wheel fixed on common axle, so that each wheel
rotates with common angular velocity and constant distance
between the two wheels is maintained.

 Flanges are provided on the inside edge of the treads and the flange
way clearance allows, typically, plus/minus 7-10mm of lateral
displacement to occur before flange contact.

 whilst many wheelsets commence life with purely coned treads,

typically conned at 1/20 or 1/40, those treads wear rapidly in
service, so that the treads come to possess curvature in the
transversal direction, similarity, rails also possess curvature in the
transversal direction.
 1.1 Basic concepts

 The wheelset material made of cast iron and the contact profile is
tapper and produce by Normal foundry in practice.

 The purpose of conning was

 Partly to reduce the rubbing of the flange on the rail,
 and partly also to ease the motion of the vehicle in the curve.
 A wheelset with conned wheels in a curve can maintain a
pure rolling motion if it moves outwards and adapts a radial
position.

 From figure below the simple relationship between the lateral

movement of the wheelset on a curve y, the radius of the curve R, the
wheel radius ro , the lateral distance between the point of contact of
the wheels with rails 2L and the conicity λ of the wheelset in order to
sustain pure rolling.
 1.1 Basic concepts

Figure. 2.2 Redtenbacher’s formula for the rolling of a coned wheelset on a curve.
 1.1 Basic concepts

 Formula for the rolling of a conned wheelset on curved

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

1) Wheel profile

 Wheel profile consists of different sections, their definitions and

shapes are shown in this figure bellow.

A. Outside wheel back

B.Tread extension
C.Tread cone angle
D.Measurement circle
E.Tread
F.Throat hollow arc
G.Flange
H.Flange top point
I.Flange back
J.Flange contact angle

Figure. 2.3 Wheel profile sections

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

1) Wheel profile
Internal arranged flange
Coned or cylindrical rolling surface
While a vehicle in curve a lateral
movement can cause difference of radius
between left and right wheel and
compensate the difference of length
between inner and outer rail
While flange contact occurs, a large force
will act on wheelset and put it back to the
center of track
Figure. 2.4 Wheel profile type S1002
Wheel Profile
Example: S1002
Descripted by table
or by geometry

Corresponding
coordinate for
different flange
thickness
 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size
1) Wheel profile  Wheel Profile of a tram car
Descripted by geometry

 Different countries or different railway companies may

specify different wheel profiles, these wheel profiles may be
quiet different.

Figure. 2.5 Wheel profile type tram

1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

1) Wheel profile 1) In generally, a classical wheel

profile may consists a cone of
1:40 or 1:20 in rolling section
2) Then there is a transition section
(the simplest shape is a concave
or an arc)
3) Then a flange with big steep slope
4) For a tram car, sometime a
cylindrical rolling surface will be
used, this is because of in very
sharp curve, it is impossible to
compensate the inner and outer
rail length with a coned wheel.
 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

2) Wheel profile with worn shape

1) Profile has big influence on the running performance of a railway

vehicle(next page)
2) But wheel worn is always existed, so the running performance of
a railway vehicle may change with the changing of wheel profile.
3) An example: Germany railway expected increasing the speed of a
passenger train form 160km/h to 200km/h. The train used coned
wheel (1:40~1:20). But after a short mileage the performance was
decreased. As a result, people found that the shape of wheel will
reach very quickly a worn shape, witch is than keep relatively
stable or in other words this worn shape would change only a little
expect that the radius changed with running mileage. Thus, a so
called hollow profile (wheel profile with worn shape) was put
forward.
 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

2) Wheel profile with worn shape

4) The famous hollow wheel profile is UIC-ORE S1002 or

DIN-5573, which is based on a measured “middle worn shape”.
This wheel is recommended by Germany and UIC.

5) Other countries are suggested different hollow wheel profile,

such in China LMA profile is recommended for passenger and
freight cars, and JM profile is recommended for locomotives.
6) For a hollow wheel profile, the section of rolling surface is
with an arc with big radius instead of a small cone of 1:40~1:20
in pure cone wheel profile.
 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

2) Wheel profile with worn shape

1) Influence of conicity on the

running performance for a
loaded and empty cars.

2) Generally, conicity of a
middle worn (S1002) wheel
profile is about 0.25. Conicity
of a small worn (JM3) wheel
profile is about 0.1

3) A pure coned wheel with a

conicity of 0.025 or 0.05

Figure. 2.6 conicity effect

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

3) Wear of wheel during operation

 Two typical wheel wear

 Tread wear: Dominate in straight and high traction force or frequent

breaking and starring. In this case, the thickness of flange will increase,
and a hollow arc occurs in rolling surface.
 Flange wear: Dominate in frequent negotiating sharp curves.
In this case, the thickness of flange will decrease, flange angle
becomes steeper strength of wheel decreases, and derailment risk
increase while passing a switch.
Other causes of wheel wear

Bruise (wheel locked during braking)

Spot erode(material fatigue)
Out of round of (wheel
polygonalizations)
Tread milled and fold
Tread crack

Figure. 2.7 wear of wheel profile

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

3) Wear of wheel during operation

Classify of surface change: Nature wear

Figure. 2.8 Nature wear of wheel profile

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

3) Wear of wheel during operation

Classify of surface change: Deformation wear

Figure. 2.8 deformation wear of wheel profile

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

3) Wear of wheel during operation

Classify of surface change: Surface damage

Figure. 2.9 Surface damage

 1.2 Wheel Profile and definition of most important size

4) Important sizes of wheel profile

Figure. 2.10 wheel profile size

 1.3 Wheelset and definition of most important size
 W/R profile together determines
contact geometry
 L/R wheels are rigidly in a common
axis with big rotate and bending stiff.
 Definition of important dimensions
 Difference of Sm and track gauge
determines W/R clearance
 Guiding size determines the safety
while passing a switch or a cross

Figure. 2.11wheelset
 1.4 Rail profile

1) Rail classify
There are two kinds of rail: Simple wide
foot rail (Vignoles) and special groove rail
 These two types of rails have similar foot,
but different rail head
 Head profile is a combination of different
sections, defined as in figure below.

Figure. 2.12 Rail profile

 1.4 Rail profile

2) Rail types
 Rail type is named according to its weight per meter length (kg/m)
The weight is determined by its cross section. The higher the weight, the higher the load it
can take, and thus adapts to heavier train.
 Rail types are specified in UIC, EN specifications. UIC60 is widely used in the world.
 1.4 Rail profile

2) Rail types

grooved rail is used

in streetcar line or in
level-cross section of
railway track in order
to form a closed plane
on road surface.
 An example of
groove rail in detail
(Ri59)
 1.4 Rail profile

3) Wear of rail in operation

 Wear occurs in rail with increasing operation time.
 Rail wear is much more serious in sharp curve than in
straight and large curves.
 Fig. below is typical rail wear for inner and outer rails
respectively
 Rail should be replaced while limitation size is reached
(in extreme case, every 2-5 years) , which costs high.
 Wear occurs in longitudinal direction(right Fig.), which
causes high vibration and thus leads to poor ride comfort
and quick track damage .
 Wave with a length >8cm call corrugation, with length
3-8cm called ripple

Figure. 2.13 Rail profile wear

 1.5 Railway Track
1) Configuration
Track consists of:
Rail, Sleeper, Fastener, and Bed
 Length of rail per rail in manufacture:
12.5m, 25m, max.60m or 120m,
Rails are welding or fasten along the track.
 Rail seats on the sleepers, usually with a base of
60cm,
sleeper can be made from: Wood, Cement, or Steel.
 Through special fastener rail is fixed on sleeper with
a
slop to inside. The fastener consists of stop block,
spring, bolts or nail(seldom used now).
 Sleepers supported evenly on bed usually with ballast.
In high speed line or in metro line popularly fest bed
without ballast are used with or without sleeper.

Figure. 2.14 track

 1.5 Railway Track

2) Track gauge and rail cant

Three types of gauge

1.Standard gauge:1435mm
2. Widen gauge: >1435mm
3. Narrow gauge: <1435mm

Figure. 2.15 track gauge and rail cant

 1.5 Railway Track

2) Track gauge and rail cant

1:40, or
1:20, or
1:30
None in switch
1.6 Wheelset on track

 Matching of wheel profile and rail plays a role

in determining W/R contact geometry.
 This matching depends on their relative
positions.
 Relative positions are ensured by:
Flange base — determine the wheel position
Track gauge — determine the rail position
Wheel/rail Clearance — determine the lateral
movement of wheelset w.r.t. track

Figure. 2.16 Wheelset on track

 1.7 W/R contact geometry

1) Wheel and rail coordinate systems

 Characteristics of wheel rail
geometry:
(a) the variation of rolling radius with
lateral displacement as this
governs the conicity effect.
(b) the variation of the slope at the
contact point with lateral
displacement as this governs the
gravitational stiffness effect.
(c) Friction and suspension.
 The profiles of the wheel and rail have
curvature that varies continuously across
the rail head (see Figure 2.17) and wheel
tread and are defined.
 One of main factors governing the Figure. 2.17 Wheel rail geometry
stability and dynamic response of
vehicles.
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

1) Wheel and rail coordinate systems

The Figure.2.18 shows

Wheel Rail contact
geometry. A is the origin
of the rail axes B is the
origin of the wheel axes
A and B coincide each
other when the wheelset
is centralized. C is the
point of contact when the
wheelset is displaced.

Figure. 2.18 Wheel rail contact geometry

 1.7 W/R contact geometry

2) Equations
 With reference to Figure 2.18, to derive equations of motion :
The positions of contacts points, slopes and curvature as function of
lateral displacement and yaw angle must be determined first

 The following assumptions are made:

• wheel-rail cross sectional geometry remains constant along the
track.
• Rigid wheel-rail
 When the wheel is not displaced (central position):
• 𝛿 0 is the angle made by the contact plane and the axle centerline
axis: 𝛿0=𝛿𝑟𝑟=𝛿𝑤𝑟=𝛿𝑟𝑙=𝛿𝑤𝑙
where in 𝛿𝑖𝑗 𝑖 is the index representing the rail or wheel ( 𝑟, 𝑤) and 𝑗
is the index representing left or right side of the wheelset (𝑟, 𝑙)
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

2) Equations
• is the wheel tread circles at contact point ; it is the same for both
wheels (right side and left side):
• is the displacement of the track centerline from the reference axis.

 When the wheelset is displaced:

• and are the new angles between contact planes and axle axis
• and are the radii of wheel tread circles
• is the lateral displacement of the wheelset center from the reference axis
therefore the relative lateral displacement of the wheelset center from its
original centralized position is:

• When the wheelset is displaced laterally the new contact point become C
and because of this the wheelset axle rolls by an angle about longitudinal
axis
• Therefore lateral displacement of the contact point (distance between A and
B) is:
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

2) Equations
 Geometry constraint equations

Also as shown in Figure 2. 19, note that the l r

l
lateral displacement from point B to A is given
by , therefore
l r
Lateral displacements
（２） Figure. 2.19 Wheel rail contact
u y  y 0  r0   wr   rr  0 geometry

Similar analysis can be made on vertical displacement of point B from

point A, until we find that:

Vertical displacements
u z  l   wr   rr  0 （3）
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

2) Equations
 Also, if if denotes the angle between the rail axes and the contact plane, , the
angle between the wheel axis the contact plane, we can show that the roll angle
is the difference between those aforementioned angles, which results
Roll is the diff. of w/r contact angle （4）
   wr   rr  0

the rail contact angle

Similarly for the left w/r has eqs.

(5~7)
 1.7 W/R contact geometry
2) Equations
u y  y 0  r0   wl   rl.  0
u z  l   wl   rl  0
   wl   rl  0
Contact angles
（5） Equations (2) to (11) are
solved using iterative
（6） Newton Raphson
method. First the contact
（7）
point when the wheel is
central is determined and
from there the contacts
positions as well as roll
angles are determined as
function of lateral
displacement
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

3) Geometry constraint
Step1 ： Founding initial contact position
Step2 ： Defining new origin of w/r contact.
Step3 ： Solving new contact points w.r.t. uy
Step4 ： Obtaining geometry parameters of all
contact points.

Figure 2. 20
Variation of
rolling radius,
contact slope,
and radii of Figure 2.19 Roll angle , vertical
curvature with displacement and location of contact
lateral points as a function of lateral
displacement for displacement for the wheel rail
the wheel rail combination
combination
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

3) Geometry constraint
 values are small but important of derivatives
Differentiating (3) w.r.t. uy ：
du z d d rr d wr d rr d rr d wr d wr d rr d wr
l      tan  rr  tan  wr
du y du y du y du y d rr du y d wr du y du y du y
 d rr d wr 
 tan  rr   
if  Is very small,than  wr   rr  du du y 
 y
Differentiating (2) w.r.t. uy ：
d ( rr   wr ) d
 r0 1
du y du y
Replace the expression in the right of above eq. ：
 d 
  tan  rr 1  r0 
 du y  （ 12 ）
 
（ 14 ）
Same for left wheel ：
du z d  d  （ 15 ）
l   tan  rl 1  r0 （ 13 ）
du y du y  du y 
 
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

3) Geometry constraint
For small uy

 y   / l (1  r0 0 / l ) z y  u y / l (1  r0 0 / l ) （ 16 ）

  ( rr   rl )l / 2u y Parameter determines change of inclination normal w/r
  0 （ 17 ）
Roll parameter

Fig.2.21 shows the

variation of the geometrical
derivatives  y and zy.
Numerical values of the
parameters for a w/r
combination.
r0=0.45,
 0 =0.0493
l=0.7452m
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

3) Geometry constraint

*
If u y is the lateral displacement of the wheelset in the plane of the original points of contact
Then from fig. :

u *y  2lu y /( 2l  r0 tan  wr  r0 wl ) （ 18 ）

For small displacement:

u *y  u y /(1  r0 tan  0 / l ) （ 19 ）
The difference between u *y
and uy is very small (<3%)

Fig.2.22 shows lateral displacement wheel

 1.7 W/R contact geometry

4) Simplified expression for small uy

 Contact angle
 rr ,  rl   0   0u y / l （ 22 ）

 wr ,  wl   0   *0 u y / l （ 24 ）

 0  l (1  Rw 0 / l ) /( Rw  Rr )(1  r0 0 / l ) （ 23 ）

Rw , Rr are the radii of curvature of w/r
*
 0  l (1  Rr 0 / l ) /( Rw  Rr )(1  r0 0 / l ) （ 25 ）
 rr  Rr (sin  rr  sin  0 )
prove ：
x x3 x5 x7  wr
sin x       (  x  )
1 3! 5! 7!
 rr  Rr ( rr   0 ) （ 20 ）
wr B r0
similary： wr  Rw ( wr   0 )（ 21 ） A
Substituting 中间位 C r0
(2)
intou： y  y 0  r0   wr   rr  0
Rr
(4) Rw
 y u y   wr   rr  0 (4)    y u y
横移位
wr
 y   / l (1  r0 0 / l )    0
rr
uy
From (2) and (4) change of contact angle with is obtained
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

4) Simplified expression for small uy

 Rolling radius and effective conicity

rr , rl  r0  0u y 0 Is so-called effective concity （ 29 ）

prove ：similary  wr   Rw (cos  wr  cos  0 )

x2 x4 x6
cos x  1      (  x  )
2! 4! 6!
  wr   Rw ( 02   wr
2
)/2
similary： rr   Rr ( 02   rr2 ) / 2
rr  r0   wr
Above is the vertical coordinates at contact point, Contact angle is
according the define of it, contact radii are: rl  r0   wl obtained as before

where：0   0 Rw (1  Rr 0 / l ) /( Rw  Rr )(1  r0 0 / l ) （ 30 ）

 1.7 W/R contact geometry

4) Simplified expression for small uy

 Displacement in vertical(using the expression of change rate with uy)

for _ pure _ cone _ tread : Rw  ,  0*  0

 0   0 /(1  r0 0 / l ) （ 26 ）
0   0 (1  Rr 0 / l ) /(1  r0 0 / l )
（ 31 ）
Here, 0 is a small value in 0.02~0.06
from（ 22）： rr ,  rl   0   0u y / l   0 from ( 20) :  rr  Rr ( rr   0 )  0

eq.(21) :  wr  u y from (16) : u z  z y u y   0u y2 / l (1  r0 0 / l )

For pure cone tread, the vertical displacement caused by lateral displacement could be neglected.

for _ worn _ W / R _ profile : Rw 0 / l  1，Rr 0 / l  1

 0   0*  l /( Rw  Rr )(1  r0 0 / l ) （ 27 ） Note: they are not small. Locats between 4~7
from (16) : u z  z y u y   0u y2 / l (1  r0 0 / l )
u y2 l
 
l (1  r0 0 / l ) ( Rw  Rr )(1  r0 0 / l )
u y2  ( Rw  Rr ) l2
 
l2 ( Rw  Rr ) 2 (1  r0 0 / l ) 2
 ( Rw  Rr ) 02u 2y / l 2
2 2 2
INBOOK  ( R  R ) 2u 2 / 2l 2
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

5) Qusi linearization of w/r contact geometry

 None linear w/r geometry contact

• Simplified express for small lateral displacement is limited, more accuracy method is required
• In the year 1965-1966, equivalent conicity according to the oscillation amplitude a is proposed.
 1.7 W/R contact geometry

5) Qusi linearization of w/r contact geometry

 Equivalent are made as mean value in an oscillation

Pure cone---------serious worn

 1.7 W/R contact geometry

5) Qusi linearization of w/r contact geometry

 Effects of different linearization methods
 1.8 Generate of W/R contact in SIMPACK

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