Analysis of Vibrations Generated by the Presence of Corrugation in a Modeled Tram Track

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the development of the railway system. Despite the huge benefits of railways, one of the main drawbacks of this mode of transport is vibrations caused by vehicles in service, especially in the case of trams circulating in urban areas. Moreover, this undesirable phenomenon may be exacerbated by the presence of irregularities in the rail-wheel contact. Thus, an analytical model able to reproduce the vibrational behavior of a real stretch of tram track was implemented. Besides, a simulation of different types of corrugation was carried out by calculating in an auxiliary model the dynamic overloads generated by corrugation. These dynamic overloads fed the main model to obtain the vibrations generated and then transmitted to the track.

Formation Mechanism of Rail Corrugation for Modern Tram Lines

“…Kou et al [19] used image processing and supervised learning algorithms to assess the damage level of the rail surface and achieved a good prediction for the damage. Herráiz et al [20] reproduced the vibration behaviors of a real tram track using an analytical model, where the dynamic loads generated by the corrugation were calculated by an auxiliary model and then fed back to the main model to obtain the generated vibrations, which were transferred to the track. Bethel Lulu et al [21] employed a pseudo-excitation method to study the random vibration characteristics of tram-track interaction on the curve track due to polygonal wheels and track irregularities.…”

Analysis of Psychoacoustic and Vibration-Related Parameters to Track the Reasons for Health Complaints after the Introduction of New Tramways

“…The majority of publications report results from experimental studies [12,13,16]. Often, articles concentrate only on vibration generation and propagation [17,18], simulation/model validation [19] or strategies for abatement of emissions [20,21]. Often, the knowledge base stems from railway vehicles or metros [22,23].…”