A mathematical model of the rail track presented as a bar on elastic and dissipative supports under the influence of moving loads

Abstract

At present, the most common track model is the one in which rails are presented as bars of infinite length rested on continuous elastic foundation. However, some specialists consider the model to be rather ideal for railways in terms of track and the technical state of track. Calculation of track as a bar rested on numerous elastic supports with variable characteristics of stiffness under static loads has shown that application of methods of elastic foundation gives results understated by 17-24%. The study presents mathematic models of the vehicle/track dynamic system, and a design scheme of track presented as a bar on numerous elastic dissipative supports with non-linear characteristics, which is taken on the base of this system. The authors developed models and methods to define the reduced vertical stiffness of the track in the wheel/rail contact point, which considers rail elastic and geometric characteristics, stiffness of supports, distance between supports and distributed track mass. The value of stiffness is variable by time for each wheel at any time and various for the vehicle’s wheels. The mathematical model proposed has been implemented in Matlab software and will make it possible to conduct numerical research into the track/vehicle dynamics.