STUDY OF FRICTION AND CREEP BETWEEN STEEL WHEEL AND RAIL

A systematic experimental, parametric and similitude investigation of the friction and creep behavior of a steel wheel rolling on a steel rail is given. Laboratory investigation was performed on the 1/5th scale experimental GM-IIT Wheel Rail Simulation Testing Facility reported on earlier. Investigation of the size and area of contact between the two wheels at different stages of surface wear shows that the initially elliptical (near Hertzian) area of contact changes fast into a near rectangular shape with a several-fold increase, depending on the load and the duration of testing and wear. It was found that Kalkers Theory fits the nondimensionalized data well, when wheel surfaces are near perfectly smooth. The product of actual contact area and creep is always constant for a given normal load and friction coefficient regardless of the surface roughness and wear time. This constancy law was derived on the basis of experimental data. It has been shown here that for the elastic and smooth surfaces the Carter-Poritsky theory also predicts the product of creep and theoretical area of contact as constant for a given load and operating friction coefficient. Generalized expressions for the interrelationship of friction coefficient, creep, actual area of contact, normal load and shear modulus have been established on the basis of experimental data. Recommendations for future design improvements have been made on the basis of these relations.

• Record URL:
  • https://railroads.dot.gov/elibrary/study-friction-and-creep-between-steel-wheels-and-rails
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored in part by General Motors Corp., La Grange, Ill. Electro-Motive Div., and Association of American Railroads, Washington, D.C.
• Corporate Authors:

  Illinois Institute of Technology

  Department of Mechanics
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616

  Federal Railroad Administration

  Office of Research and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  General Motors Corporation

  Warren, MI  United States  48090

  Association of American Railroads Research Center

  3140 South Federal Street
  Chicago, IL  United States  60616
• Authors:
  • Sciammarella, C A
  • Press, M
  • Kumar, S
  • Seth, B
  • Nailescu, S
• Publication Date: 1976-7

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Pagination: 106 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adhesion; Creep; Creep properties; Dynamics; Force; Friction; Loads; Railroad cars; Railroad rails; Railroad simulators; Railroad tracks; Railroad wheels; Rolling contact; Rolling friction; Test facilities; Train track dynamics; Wear; Wheels
• Old TRIS Terms: Wheel creep
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167345
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FRA/ORD-76/271 Final Rpt., IIT-TRANS-76-2
• Contract Numbers: DOT-OS-40103
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 8 1978 12:00AM