ABSTRACT
The wheel-rail module of the universally applicable multibody system simulation software SIMPACK is described. The emphasis is laid upon the contact modelling of the wheel-rail module and its geometry based on the recently developed quasi-elastic contact model. An extensive study of derailment criteria for freight cars shows the possibility of replacing the majority of the field-experiments with software simulations. Besides this, several examples from the field of advanced railway vehicle technology including tilting techniques, slip–controlled wheelsets, flexible structures and crossing a switch are presented.
