A numerical analysis of rolling contact fatigue of resilient wheel under distinct track conditions

Rolling contact fatigue (RCF) is the predominant type of damage observed in wheel tread, whose detrimental impact on the metro operation efficiency is increasingly significant. To study the fatigue damage behavior of rolling wheels, a torsional vibration model of resilient wheel system and a numerical solution method for evaluating the wheel RCF damage are established in this research. The magnitude and distribution trend of fatigue damage of rigid and resilient wheel treads under distinct operation conditions are evaluated. The findings indicate that the cumulative fatigue damage and damage distribution of wheels decrease with the increase of track radius. Resilient wheels exhibit enhanced fatigue resistance and improved robustness in wheel–rail contact under the track condition of small radius. The fatigue damage performance and longitudinal creep force of rigid wheels begin to exceed that of resilient wheels with the gradual flattening of track curve when the radius is greater than 800 m.