Effects of polygonal wear of wheels on the dynamic performance of the gearbox housing of a high-speed train

This study investigates the effects of polygonal wear of wheels on the dynamic performance of the gearbox housing of high-speed trains. First, a dynamics model of the driving system is developed considering gear meshing and flexible deformation of the gearbox housing. Responses of the gearbox housing are calculated using the modal superposition method. Then, a multibody dynamics model of a railway motor car is established considering the driving system. Rig tests in the laboratory and field experiments on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed rail line are, respectively, performed. Based on the simulation and experiments, the dynamic characteristics of the gearbox housing of the motor car are analysed. The results of the analysis show that polygonal wear can significantly influence the vibration of the gearbox housing, and the maximum amplitude of the acceleration of vibration is more than 200 g. In addition, resonance of the gearbox housing occurs due to the 20th-order polygonal wear. In the resonance region, the oil level sight glass of the gearbox housing vibrates severely, contributing immensely to its cracking.