Prediction of the interaction between a simple moving vehicle and an infinite periodically supported rail – Green's functions approach

Abstract

This paper herein describes the interaction between a simple moving vehicle and an infinite periodically supported rail, in order to signalise the basic features of the vehicle/track vibration behaviour in general, and wheel/rail vibration, in particular. The rail is modelled as an infinite Timoshenko beam resting on semi-sleepers via three-directional rail pads and ballast. The time-domain analysis was performed applying Green's matrix of the track method. This method allows taking into account the nonlinearities of the wheel/rail contact and the Doppler effect. The numerical analysis is dedicated to the wheel/rail response due to two types of excitation: the steady-state interaction and rail irregularities. The study points out to certain aspects regarding the parametric resonance, the amplitude-modulated vibration due to corrugation and the Doppler effect.

Keywords:

• wheel
• rail
• Green's functions
• parametric resonance
• Doppler effect

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by NURC (the National University Research Council) under project 1699: Researches on the wheel/rail parametric vibrations using the track's Green matrix method.