Title Mechanisms of squat initiation in a rail-wheel contact
Author Baltic, S
Daves, W
Conference 12th International Conference on Contact Mechanics and Wear of Rail/Wheel Systems, 4-7 September 2022, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Publication Date 2022
Location ARRB library
Abstract This work investigates possible parameters governing the squat initiation from a mechanical point of view. From a detailed analysis of a rail sample having squat-type crack in the initial stage of development (Fig. 1) it turned out that the crack started to grow first in the direction perpendicular to the rail traffic direction, that is, in a transverse plane. Therefore, the ability of a crack to grow transversally across the rail profile has been analyzed in a finite element model. A rail cross section is built up and a pre-crack is introduced in the model. Using the configurational force theory, the crack driving forces and their directions are determined at the pre-crack tip across different loading events.
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CM 2022_Baltic
Subjects Cracking
Wheel
Rolling contact