Design of the wheel profile of an independently rotating wheel with inverse tread conicity by considering the trajectory of the center of gravity

Abstract

The self-alignment of independently rotating wheels (IRWs) with inverse tread conicity cannot be realized simply by using a nonlinear concave wheel profile. A novel wheel profile design method is proposed to solve this problem that is based on the static guidance characteristic of a single isolated wheelset. The procedure is based on a desired lateral geometric force function with respect to the lateral displacement of IRWs with inverse tread conicity. The method focuses on the trajectory of the center of gravity under the wheel/rail contact constraint. A numerical process description and design example are provided and the resulting design is checked using forward contact analysis and the multi-body dynamics analysis software SIMPACK. A lateral restoring force that is proportional to the lateral displacement can be obtained using the proposed design method for the wheel profile.