Research into the problem of wheel tread spalling caused by wheelset longitudinal vibration

This study mainly focuses on the mechanism of wheel tread spalling through wheelset longitudinal vibration that has been often neglected. Analysis of two actual cases of the wheel tread spalling problem leads to the conclusion that the wheel tread spalling is closely related to the wheelset longitudinal vibration in some locomotives, and many of these problems can be reasonably explained if the wheelset longitudinal vibration is considered. For better understanding of some abnormal wheel spalling problems, the formations of the wheelset longitudinal vibration and the wheel/rail contact parameters were analysed in the initial wheel tread spalling. With the preliminary analytical results, the wheelset longitudinal dynamic behaviour, the characteristics of wheel/rail contact and the mechanics in the condition of the wheelset longitudinal vibration were further studied quantitatively. The results showed that the wheelset longitudinal vibration changed not only the limit of these parameters and the position of principal stress, but also the direction of the principal stress on the surface of wheel/rail contact patch. It is likely that the significant stress changes provoke too much stress on the surface of wheel/rail contact patch, cause fatigue in wheel/rail contact patch and eventually lead to wheel tread spalling. The results of these studies suggest that the suppression of the wheelset longitudinal vibration extends wheel/rail life and the addition of a vertical damper with an ahead angle provides a possible solution to the wheel spalling problem.