Rail Corrugation Occurrence Probability and Development Features Under Micro Creep Saturation of Metro Lines

Focusing on the wheel-rail contact behavior, the occurrence probability and development characteristics of rail corrugation on metro lines were investigated from the micro perspective. Using the numerical model of vehicle-track multi-body dynamics, combined with the tangent contact algorithm Modified-Fastsim, a critical value of creepage saturation was proposed to analyze the occurrence probability of corrugation on the lines with different radii of curvature under conditions of smooth and rough rail surfaces. And the average wear depth of wheel-rail contact patch was calculated simultaneity with the Archard model, further more the evolution features of rail corrugation were analyzed. The results show that the inside and outside wheel-rail contact creepages all tend to be saturated when the curve radius of the line is less than 450 m, all having the corrugation possibility produced on the inner and outer rails. And when the curve radius of the line is more than 450 m, the occurrence probability of the rail corrugation can decrease. On the other hand, the irregularities of rail surface can lead to the feedback vibration in wheel-rail contact, enhancing the occurrence probability of rail corrugation in wheel-rail system. With the increase of the curve radius of the line, the average wear depth of wheel-rail contact patch tends to decrease, and the average wear depth decreases at a rate that increases first and then decreases, meaning that the smaller the curve radius is, the greater the wear degree of rail corrugation is and the faster the wear rate is. The average wear depths of inside and outside (left and right sides) contact patches are similar, and the average wear depth of the outside contact patch is slightly higher than that of the inner side on the small radius curve, demonstrating that the wear degrees and wear rates of inner and outer (left and right sides) rails are basically similar. However, considering the difference between the inside and outside wheel-rail contact geometries, the corrugation of outer rail tends to appear on the rail side, while the corrugation of the inner rail appears mainly on the rail top. © 2024 Beijing Institute of Technology. All rights reserved.