Wheel Squeal Mitigation Under Water Lubrication

This study investigates the potential of applying water to the wheel-rail contact to reduce squealing noise. For this purpose, a twin-disc device with a single tram wheel and real wheel suspension stiffnesses was developed. Three types of tests were performed. During the tests, adhesion coefficient, sound pressure level and wheel axial vibration were measured. The tests under dry conditions were carried out to describe the frequency spectrum of wheel vibration and to establish reference values for further measurements. The tests under wet conditions were carried out to investigate the ability of water to reduce adhesion and noise. Finally, tests with varying amounts of water in contact were carried out because of the low adhesion risk. The experimental results showed that the twin-disc device was able to reproduce both the adhesion and noise properties of the contact. Tests with different amounts of water showed that the application of water can be a promising way to reduce squealing noise from wheel-rail contact.