A nonlinear vehicle-structure interaction methodology for the assessment of the train running safety

Abstract

A nonlinear vehicle-structure interaction methodology for the assessment of the train running safety is proposed in this article. The contact formulation between wheel and rail consists in three main steps: the geometrical problem, where the contact point position is detected; the normal contact problem, in which the forces are determined based on the Hertz theory, and the tangential contact problem, where the creep forces are calculated using the rolling friction laws proposed by Kalker. The behavior in the contact interface is reproduced by a contact element developed for this problem. Constraint equations that relate the displacements of the vehicle and structure are imposed using a direct method. The formulation is validated using results of an experimental test performed in a rolling stock test plant of the Railway Technical Research Institute in Japa