Frictional contact FE analysis in a railway wheel-rail contact

Abstract

Our investigation aimed to analyse the contact pressure distribution, the contact area and the sliding procedure in a railway wheel-rail contact by using finite element method. The analysis were created with linear elastic material model. The elaborated model provides opportunity to analyse the initial sticking zone within the contact zone that disappears and transforms into full sliding contact due to the tangential displacement of the contact zone. In that state we examined the equivalent stress distribution under the surface in full sliding condition as well.