Study on the Wear of Wheel Flange/Rail Gauge Face

This paper describes the measured results of an actual worn rail, stress analysis of wheel/rail corresponding to a real contact, and laboratory test results of wear simulation. In the research the worn rail in sharp curved track was investigated through residual stress measurements and micrographic observation. The contact stresses of wheel/rail were estimated with a three-dimensional FEM elastic-plastic model to study the effect of applied loads and contact geometry on wear progress of wheel and rail. The experimental wear simulation by using a large rolling contact machine has been carried out to estimate the actual wear of wheel/rail, and clarify the influence of material hardness and contact geometry on wear of wheel flange/rail gauge face.