Papers by Keyword: Railway Axle

Abstract: Although railway axles are a crucial part of railway vehicles, they are susceptible to long-term failure because of repeated loads. The aim of this research is to investigate the stress intensity factor (SIF) of a surface elliptical crack on a high-speed railway axle under various operating conditions. The study employs numerical analysis to explore the impact of press-fitting, rotary bending, stable and adverse running conditions on the SIF solutions. The main findings demonstrate that adverse running conditions, such as the press-fitting force, asymmetric vehicle weight, lateral force and wheel-rail contact force, can significantly increase the SIF values and result in axle failure. The press-fitting effect and rotary bending also have a significant impact on the SIF values, highlighting their importance in the railway axle design and analysis. The outcome of this research emphasizes the significance of accurately estimating SIF values to ensure the safe and reliable performance of railway axles in adverse operating conditions.

Abstract: Railway axles are subjected to cyclic amplitude loading which can lead to fatigue failure. For safe operation of railway axles a damage tolerance approach taking into account a possible defect in railway axle is often required. Because of different operation regimes of trains (fast/slow ride, ride on straight track, on curved track, over switches etc.) the load amplitude of axle is not constant. The variability of load is defined by a load spectrum, which is determined experimentally by measuring of load in service conditions. Even though the load spectrum is measured on several hundreds or thousands of operation kilometres, the railway axles are in operation much longer time (often tens of years). Therefore, some load amplitudes higher than ones measured in the test can occur during a long-term axle service. The contribution presented deals with the effect of extension of load spectrum by rare high load amplitudes, which can occur during long-term operation, on residual fatigue lifetime of railway axles.

Abstract: Thermal sprayed Mo coatings deposited on steel support deposited by electric arc and atmospheric plasma spray were investigated. Microstructural investigation of the coatings showed that in both variants the splats formed by rapid solidification and splashing during the impact with the substrate have irregular shape, exhibit cracks and scattered debris. The measured average equivalent diameter of the splats and the calculated average diameter of the particles that generated the splats are higher for electric arc spraying. Using the measured and calculated data it was descibed the relathionship between splats diameter, splats thickness and flattening degree. Some intrinsec properties of the coatings as roughness, hardness and bond strength were measured. All these properties are influenced by the splat size. Lower size of the splats lead to reduced surface roughness, higher hardness and higher bond strength of the coatings.

Abstract: Safety assessment of railway axles is based on fatigue strength design. During the design overall lifetime, railway axles undergo a very high number of loading cycles under rotating bending. Due to safety and reliability reasons, fatigue strength design has to be very carefully evaluated. Both theoretical modelling and extensive experimental fatigue testing including full scale tests have to be performed, whereas such tests have to be performed correctly with a high precision. In the paper, problems of dynamic forces during fatigue tests of railway axles are pointed out. Though static calibration can be carried out with a very high precision, dynamic forces can cause a significant redistribution of static stresses along the axle. An example is given and discussed.

Abstract: The paper contains results of a study aimed at exploring possibilities of use of direct current potential drop (DCPD) method for evaluation of depth and profile of cracks occurred under or near press fitted hubs in a full-scale axle during severe rotating bending loading. DCPD method was applied on section of an axle after fatigue by a specific way and potentials were measured in several circumferential areas of the axle section, when direct current passed longitudinally. Results are analysed and discussed. It was indicated that unlike previous use of the method for crack measurement of different components, even large and complicated, described in the literature, when potentials corresponded to ratio of cracked and uncracked area, in this case of approximately circumferential crack, measured potentials correspond better to relative crack depth in the relevant point of the circumference.

Abstract: The paper deals with an estimation of the residual fatigue lifetime of the railway axles. The railway axles can include some cracks either from manufacturing process or from previous loading operation. Because of cyclic loading of the railway axles there is a risk of fatigue failure of the railway axles with unacceptable consequences. Based on this fact, for conservative establishment of the residual fatigue lifetime of the railway axle is necessary to consider an existing crack in the railway axle during design process. The fatigue lifetime estimation of railway axles is very sensitive to used crack propagation rate description (e.g. v-K curve). Typical bending of this curve (knee) can be found in the vicinity of the threshold value in fatigue crack propagation rate dependence (typically v-K curve expressed in log-log coordinates). For accurate estimation of residual fatigue lifetime of the railway axle is necessary to use approximation of v-K curve that takes into account existence of the knee close to the threshold value of the stress intensity factor. The paper shows important differences between different crack propagation rate descriptions on the residual fatigue lifetime estimation of the railway axles. Results obtained can be used for safer design and operation of the railway axles.

Abstract: The railway axles are subjected to cyclic loading, therefore there is a risk of fatigue failure. For reason that possible crack could not be detected by non-destructive testing method an existing crack in the railway axle must be considered. This is conservative approach commonly used in applications where potential fatigue failure has unaccepted consequences. This paper deals with retardation effect caused by overload cycles and compares results obtained by no retardation approach and results obtained by generalized Willenborg model, which takes into account the retardation effects due to plastic zone around the crack tip. Results obtained can contribute to the better understanding of fatigue crack behavior in railway axles.

Abstract: The paper deals with the influence of order of cycles in the loading block on the fatigue crack growth rate in railway axle. The railway axle can include some cracks from manufacturing process or initiated fatigue cracks from previous operation. It is advantageous to know how the crack will behave during further service of the train to ensure its safe operation. The most common approaches describing the fatigue crack growth do not take into account the effects of overload cycles, which enlarge the plastic zone ahead of the crack tip. The enlarged plastic zone generates residual compressive stresses, which cause a retardation of the fatigue crack growth. Finite element numerical calculations were used together with the generalized Willenborg model to determine influence of overload cycles on the increment of fatigue crack growing in railway axles. Real geometry of the axle, the crack front shape and typical loading spectrum were taken into account.

Abstract: A railway axle operated over 6×105 km has been detected by varied micro-examination methods in detail. The examination of Leeb hardness tester results showed that the hardness of the press-fit seats presented higher hardness than that of other sites. According to the micro morphological analyses by optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX), and profilometer on the surface at different press-fit seats, the most severe damage band was occurred at the inner edge of wheel seat near the gear seat. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) results indicated that the dislocation density of subsurface, beneath the axle surface about 20 μm, was much higher with a great deal of dislocation tangles, pile-ups and cellular structure formation. However, when the examination depth increased to 100 μm, no cellular structure can be founded, the dislocation density was very low, so the damage depth was less than 100 μm.

Abstract: With the high speed railway utilization, the probability of defects or fatigue cracks in railway axles is increased. An automatic ultrasonic inspection system for railway axles is presented. This system uses combined probes and inspects the defects with spiral trajectory along the axis of the axle. Through the matrix representation of C-scan image element, a defect edge extraction method is adopted, with which the defect parameters of crack are obtained automatically. Based on these defect parameters, the stress intensity factor is assessed by svm regression and the method to predict remaining life is proposed.