Review on wheel-rail dynamic responses caused by wheel tread defects

The current research on wheel-rail relationship was summarized in three aspects, including rolling contact theories, experiments, and numerical simulations. The influence of dynamics mechanical properties of wheel/rail materials on wheel-rail rolling contact behavior was emphasized. The related results on the static and dynamic mechanical properties of wheel/rail materials and constitutive relationship were summarized. A systematical introduction was presented on the progress of research on wheel-rail dynamic responses caused by wheel flat, tread spalling, wheel polygonization, and other typical tread influences, mainly including the influence of wheel tread defects on wheel-rail rolling contact behavior and vehicle system dynamics, and the causation, influence rules and evolution mechanism of wheel tread defect. The influences of dynamic effects on high-speed wheel-rail rolling contact behavior was emphasized and the detection technologies and prevention measures of wheel tread defects were summarized. Analysis results suggest that the wheel tread defects significantly increase the wheel-rail impact force, resulting in damages of wheel-rail components and abnormal vibration of car body, which seriously affect the service life of vehicle-track components and vehicle dynamics performance, and even threaten the safety of train operation. The causes and mechanisms of wheel tread defects still need to be further explored, abnormal braking of vehicle and low adhesion state between wheel and rail will lead to wheel flat, characteristics of wheel/rail materials, wheel-rail contact load, wheelset resonance, performance of braking system and operation conditions/environment are the main factors leading to wheel tread spalling, wheel-axle resonance, wheel-rail friction vibration, wheel manufacturing and re-profiling are closely related to the formation of wheel polygonization. Improving the performance of wheel/rail materials, controlling the support stiffness/damping of track system and friction coefficients between wheel and rail are all effective measures to restrain wheel tread defects. 3 tabs, 19 figs, 209 refs. © 2021, Editorial Department of Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering. All right reserved.