MOIRE ANALYSIS OF PLANAR ELASTIC CONTACT FOR UNDERSTANDING WHEEL-RAIL TRACTION

The nature of adhesion and creep in the contact region between two planar surfaces with normal and tangential loads is experimentally investigated with moire analysis. This study is aimed at advancing the understanding of adhesion and creep in the contact zone between a steel wheel and rail. The contact region between a silicon block (width 2.4 in., and height 1.6 in.) and a thick plexiglass plate investigated. Loads of 0.33 lbs to 5.01 lbs were applied at angles of 0 degrees to 11.1 degrees from the vertical. Gratings of 300 and 302 lines/inch were placed on the contacting surfaces of the plate and block respectively. Movement of the moire fringes yielded the displacement fields. Analysis of the displacement fields for four loads at four different inclination angles shows that the adhesion zone appears as a region of restrained displacements. It is believed that ideal adhesion (i.e. zero displacements) is possible only for optically flat surfaces, and that surface roughness, as was present in this investigation, is responsible for restrained displacements in the adhesion zone. For only vertical loads, the adhesion zone was in the middle of the contact surface and creep zones were symmetrically placed on two sides. Under increasing load the adhesion zone decreases in size. This is as predicted by theory and the finite element method. Under inclined loads, the adhesion zone moves opposite the direction of horizontal components of loading. The adhesion zone will eventually move to the edge of the contact zone when there is a large enough tangential load. The experimental results were compared with a finite element analysis conducted at I.I.T. earlier and showed good agreement.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with General Motors Corp., La Grange, Ill. Electro-Motive Div., and Association of American Railroads, Chicago, Ill.
• Corporate Authors:

  Illinois Institute of Technology

  Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department
  10 West 33rd Street, Perlstein Hall
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616

  General Motors Corporation

  Warren, MI  United States  48090

  Association of American Railroads

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60605

  Federal Railroad Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Matic, P
  • Kumar, S
• Publication Date: 1977-4

Media Info

• Pagination: 41 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adhesion; Analysis; Car wheels (Railroads); Creep; Dislocation (Geology); Dynamic tests; Dynamics; Finite element method; Force; Loads; Railroad rails; Railroad tracks; Roughness; Traction; Train track dynamics; Wheels
• Uncontrolled Terms: Dynamic analysis
• Old TRIS Terms: Analytical techniques; Wheel creep
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167028
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: IIT-TRANS-77-1 No. 6Intrm Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: DOT-OS-40103
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 29 1977 12:00AM