Effects of wheelset flexibility on the simulation of vehicle-track interaction at crossings

Though numerical models based on multi-body dynamics (MBD) are often used to simulate the vehicle-track interaction at crossing impact, their relative capabilities and accuracy were not discussed. This paper aims to investigate the influence of wheelset flexibility on the result of crossing impact simulation in the frequency range 0-500 Hz. Two models are used: a MBD model with rigid wheelset and a reference finite element model that could fully account for the structural flexibility. Results of the two models as well as in-situ measurement show three characteristic frequencies of the vehicle-track interaction system induced by crossing impact. Based on the characteristic frequencies, the MBD model is tuned to resemble the reference FE model in terms of track and contact representation through a parametric analysis so that the influence of these differences can be isolated. It is found that the major influence of the wheelset flexibility is on the second characteristic frequency of the system, reflecting the second order bending of the wheelset.