Wheel-Rail Interface Handbook

R. Lewis (Edited by), U Olofsson (Edited by)

9781845694128, Elsevier Science

Hardback, published 25 September 2009

856 pages
23.3 x 15.6 x 4.2 cm, 1.45 kg

"State-of-the-art is an overused term, but in this case it is well used, Materials WorldThe authors of the reviews are all experts in their areas with established records of research. The reviews are authoritative and miss little." --Materials World

Many of the engineering problems of particular importance to railways arise at interfaces and the safety-critical role of the wheel/rail interface is widely acknowledged. Better understanding of wheel/rail interfaces is therefore critical to improving the capacity, reliability and safety of the railway system.Wheel-rail interface handbook is a one-stop reference for railway engineering practitioners and academic researchers. Part one provides the fundamentals of contact mechanics, wear, fatigue and lubrication as well as state-of-the-art research and emerging technologies related to the wheel/rail interface and its management. Part two offers an overview of industrial practice from several different regions of the world, thereby providing an invaluable international perspective with practitioners’ experience of managing the wheel/rail interface in a variety of environments and circumstances.This comprehensive volume will enable practising railway engineers, in whatever discipline of railway engineering – infrastructure, vehicle design and safety, and so on – to enhance their understanding of wheel/rail issues, which have a major influence on the running of a reliable, efficient and safe railway.

Part 1 State-of-the-art research: Introduction to wheel-rail interface research
Basic tribology of the wheel-rail contact
Wheel-rail contact mechanics
Friction and wear simulation of the wheel-rail interface
Rail materials
Railway wheel wear
Fatigue of railway wheels
Out-of-round railway wheels
Rail surface fatigue and wear
The evolution and failure of pearlitic microstructure in rail steel: Observations and modelling
Rail corrugation
Rail welds
Squats on railway rails
Effect of contaminants on wear, fatigue and traction
Effect of damage on railway vehicle dynamics
Noise and vibration from the wheel-rail interface
Adhesion and friction modification
Wheel-rail isolation
Airborne particles from the wheel-rail contact
Maintenance of the wheel-rail interface
Models for infrastructure costs related to the wheel-rail interface. Part 2 Industrial context – managing the wheel-rail interface
Managing the wheel-rail interface: Railway infrastructure maintenance in a severe environment
The Swedish experience
Managing the wheel-rail interface: Europe Metro (London Underground) experience on the London Underground Victoria line
Managing the wheel-rail interface: The Canadian experience
Managing the wheel-rail interface: The US experience
Managing the wheel-rail interface: The Japanese experience
Managing the wheel-rail interface: The Australian experience
Managing the wheel-rail interface: The Dutch experience.

Subject Areas: Railway technology, engineering & trades [TRF], Steam engines [TGBN1], Mechanical engineering [TGB]