Speakers and Topics: Heavy Haul Seminars Sessions Abstract

Topic: Critical Attributes of the Wheel/Rail Contact Interface in Heavy-Haul Operations That Influence Performance

Presenter: Ralph Schorr

Company: Amsted

Abstract:

Wheel/rail contact geometry has been widely studied and characterized because of its significant influence on the railroad vehicle dynamic performance. Equivalent conicity has become one generally accepted method to use when characterizing the wheel/rail contact geometry however it does not capture all the non-linear aspects of the geometry. There is a need for an improved visual understanding of this contact interface and how the geometry influences performance. The Vampire® software provides a visual representation of the contact patch which can be used to demonstrate the critical aspects of the contact geometry. This paper will demonstrate these aspects by comparing several examples of wheel/rail pairings and the correlation between these aspects and the predicted freight car behavior.