Analysis of residual ripples and wheel-rail contact state after profiling milling for reshaping rail profile

Abstract

On-line milling rail profile is a new technology developed in recent years, which eliminates serious defects such as wavy wear layer on the top surface of rail profile through profiling milling and reshapes the shape of rail profile. Previous studies have focused on the maximum milling thickness, milling efficiency and the ability to eliminate rail contour defects, while ignoring the effect of residual corrugation on the wheel-rail contact condition after milling. This paper analyzes the reasons for the formation of residual ripples during rail profile profiling milling and determines the correlation between the wavelength and height of the residual ripples formed by milling and key parameters such as milling device and milling speed. Residual ripple models were constructed for the rail profile after milling at three most used milling speeds. The wheel-rail contact state was simulated and analyzed by considering the wheel weight loads of subway trains and freight trains, respectively. The results show that the residual corrugation significantly changes the wheel-rail contact stress on the upper surface of the rail profile and the strain-fatigue cycle distribution in the high contact stress region of the wheel-rail.