Fatigue Life Prediction of Wheels for CRH2 High-speed Train Due to Flexible Tracks

Abstract

Wheels are some of the most vital components of a railway vehicle with respect to reliable and safe operations of the railway system. However, the wheels of the railway vehicle are routinely subjected to continuous excitations resulting from track flexibility and irregularities during the running action. Frequent subjection on the wheels results in repetitive loads and hence contributes to fatigue failure. Thus this study aims to propose a method of fatigue life prediction for wheels of high-speed trains due to irregularities and flexibility of the track and conducts an investigation about the influence at different speeds. A study on the wheel was conducted using the finite element method, SIMPACK software for dynamic performance and Matlab for irregularities. An investigation was conducted at different speeds of operation to establish the effect on the wheels and the results indicated that as the speed of operation increases, the life of the wheels reduces significantly from  to  Hence irregularities and track flexibility are some of the most important factors which must be put into consideration to ensure a lasting service life of the wheels.