A Numerical Solver for the Wheel-Rail Contact Subjected to Combined Loads

Abstract

A working algorithm, able to be incorporated into a computer code, has been developed to solve the stress state in the general case of non-Hertzian contacts. Brent’s method has been involved to find the contact point for the unload conditions. To limit the pressure, an elastic-perfect plastic material has been incorporated into the computer code. Purely normal loadings as well as normal and tangential Coulombian forces have been considered. The elastic-plastic analysis model allows for a fast analysis of the influence of different parameters such as load level, contact geometry including the geometry of the worn profiles. It can be used to build the shakedown map for the material law of the rail material.