Development of new rail repair profiles for different operating conditions

Introduction. Currently, contact-fatigue defects prevail on rails with increased intensity of lateral and vertical rail wear. The authors consider it essential to develop rational repair profiles for sections with different track plan, as current repair profile regulations are insufficient, while taking into account the wheel and rail interaction in curves of different radii and straight lines.

Materials and methods. Optimal rail head repair profiles were determined for different operating conditions by calculating the effect of wheel and rail profiles on the force impact on the track using the Universal Mechanism software. The rational parameters of the rail head tread surface were selected by mathematical analysis. The authors modeled variants of a conical wheel with two-point contact: a new wheel and a moderately worn profile. R65 type rail profiles were modeled: new profiles, R65 medium-grid, R65K.

Results. The calculation and analysis data formed the basis for the recommended tread surface parameters to minimise the intensity of defect formation and rail wear. The authors developed rail head repair profiles for various operating conditions to be applied in grinding programmes.

Discussion and conclusion. Grinding assignment criteria should include the basic parameters of the tread surface: central rolling radius R1 and arc length of the central radius d. The resulting repair profiles could be used to update the rail track grinding regulations.

1. High-speed rail grinding. Zheleznyye dorogi mira. 2011;(8):62-66. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/okkjmt.

2. Shur E.A., Borts A.I., Sukhov A.V., Abdurashitov A.Yu., Bazanova L.V., Zagranichek K.L. Evolution of the contact-fatigue defects caused rail failure rate. Russian Railway Science Journal. 2015;(3):3-9. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/tuvqnp.

3. Omarbekov A.K. On the interaction between wheel and rail of passenger cars of Patentes Talgo S.A. In: Arrangement and maintenance of track and rolling stock for heavy-weight and high-speed train traffic. Wheel – Rail: Collection of sci. papers of research to practice conf., 28–29 October 2008, Moscow. Moscow: VNIIZhT; 2008. p. 80–83. (In Russ.).

4. Abdurashitov A.Yu. Profile grinding as a factor of track rail service life extension. Russian Railway Science Journal. 2000;(6):28-33. (In Russ.).

5. Abdurashitov A.Yu. Profile rail grinding: a comprehensive approach is required. Railway Track and Facilities. 2003;(5):2-6. (In Russ.).

6. Abdurashitov A.Yu. Rail profile grinding. Railway Track and Facilities. 2005;(4):14-20. (In Russ.).

7. Abdurashitov A.Yu., Anikeeva A.V. Modern technologies of rail profile grinding and their efficiency. In: Improving the efficiency of rail track arrangement and maintenance: Collection of the Railway Research Institute researchers papers. Moscow: VMG-Print Publ.; 2014. p. 4–12. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/vjqezt.

8. Krysanov L.G. Rail profile machining efficiency. Railway Track and Facilities. 1996;(12):2-6. (In Russ.).

9. Il’inykh A.S., Matafonov A.V. Russian and foreign experience of rail grinding train operation. Science and Technology in Transport. 2014;(3):99-103. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/smzckh.

10. Guidat A. The fundamental benefits of preventive rail grinding. Rail Engineering International. 1996;25(1):4-6.

11. Khvostik M.Yu., Khromov I.V., Bykova O.A., Beresten’ G.A. Performance analysis of the working surface of the rails from test batches on the test loop of JSC “VNIIZhT”. Russian Railway Science Journal. 2018;77(3):141-148. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.21780/2223-97312018-77-3-141-148.

12. Khvostik M.Yu., Khromov I.V. Comparison of test methods for rails in operation. Railway Track and Facilities. 2022;(6):9-12. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/dryqbt.

13. Khvostik M.Yu., Khromov I.V. Adaptation of rail milling technology for application on Russian railways. Railway Track and Facilities. 2023;(2):6-8. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/jozbjo.

14. Khvostik M.Yu., Khromov I.V. Adaptation of rail milling technology for application on Russian railways. Railway Track and Facilities. 2023;(3):8-10. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/wgwklu.

15. Shiladzhyan A.A., Khromov I.V. Tests of used reprofiled rails in the Moscow Metro. In: Peculiarities of the rail maintenance system on Russian railways: Collection of the Railway Research Institute researchers papers. Moscow: RАS Publ.; 2017. p. 118–126.

16. Orlova A.M., Savushkin R.A., Fedorova V.I. Development of an improved wheel profile for a freight car. Theoretical justification. Russian Railway Science Journal. 2018;77(5):269-279. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.21780/2223-9731-2018-77-5-269-279.

17. Orlova A.M., Savushkina Yu.V., Fedorova V.I. Modelling car motion and the calculation of the wear of wheels with the VNITSTT rolling surface profile. Russian Railway Science Journal. 2019;78(1):41-47. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.21780/2223-9731-2019-78-1-41-47.

18. Zagranichek K.L., Nazarov I.V., Suslov O.A. Methodology for calculating the service life of the upper track structure. Moscow: VNIIZhT; 2023. 59 p.

19. Khromov I.V., Dmitriev D.A. Results of comparative rail operation tests for wear resistance. In: Railways: A Path to the Future: A source book of the I International Scientific Conference of Postgraduate and Young Scientists, 28–29 April 2022, Moscow. Moscow: VNIIZhT; 2022. p. 68–74. (In Russ.). EDN: https://elibrary.ru/qkaftf.