ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: To determine the tangential forces at the wheel-rail contact level, the linear coefficients of stiffness provided by Kalker’s theory are used in many dynamic codes for the different contact models simulated. These creep coefficients are exposed in reality to many reducing parameters like roughness, surface contamination and third body layer. They also can’t take into account the elasto-plastic behavior of the bodies in contact. In this paper, a three dimensional finite element model is developed to study the wheel-rail rolling contact. The elastic solution was compared to Kalker’s theories and the effect of elasto-plasticity on the creep force characteristics was studied. It is found that the elasto-plastic behavior reduces the creep coefficients in the longitudinal and the lateral direction. The reduced coefficients of stiffness are assessed from this model and their influence on railway vehicle stability is checked. The stability analysis shows that the non-application of a reducing factor to Kalker’s coefficients overestimates the critical speed.
