Railway rolling noise in curved tracks: Dynamic modelling of the wheelset and influence of the curve

Railway wheelsets operating on curved tracks experience complex dynamic behaviour which can affect the generation of rolling noise. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the dynamic response of wheelsets on curved tracks and the associated rolling noise radiation from the wheel and track. A dynamic model is developed to accurately compute the vibrational response of the flexible wheelset, considering the inertial effects associated with its rotation and trajectory along the curved track. An axisymmetric approach is proposed, which reduces significantly the computational effort in comparison to a three-dimensional numerical model. Considering a railway vehicle and its interaction with the track, the rolling noise generated in curved conditions is evaluated. Noise radiated as a result of a vehicle running on curves of 300 m and 2 km radius is compared with a tangent track. Differences in the sound radiation are found among the acoustic levels associated with each wheelset, the steady-state position of such wheelsets on the rails being a key factor. • An axisymmetric model of a rotating flexible wheelset on a curve is proposed. • The vehicle/track interaction on a curve is solved in the frequency domain. • The influence of a curve on rolling noise from a railway vehicle is studied. • The rolling noise is highly related to the position of the wheel/rail contact point.