Impact of wheel profile evolution on wheel-rail dynamic interaction and surface initiated rolling contact fatigue in turnouts

Hollow wear is a common type of wheel profile evolution in high-speed railway, causing special contact characteristics in turnouts. Taking into account the flexibility of wheelsets and rails in turnout as well as complex constraint conditions, the vehicle-turnout coupling model is built and wheel-rail dynamic interaction in turnouts is analyzed. After calculating the wheel-rail non-Hertz contact behavior with wheel profile evolution, the accumulated surface initiated rolling contact fatigue (RCF) of turnouts are evaluated based on the shakedown theory. Results indicate that the wheel transition position is shifted backwards with wheel profile evolution. The vertical wheel-rail force is contributed by wheelset bending modes in the switch panel, and its maximum value decreases by 22% due to the 87% reduction in vertical contact irregularity in the crossing panel. The severe contact between the false flange and wing rail leads to the aggravation of lateral axle box acceleration (ABA) while the positions of its characteristic frequencies are changed from the point rail to wing rail. When the degree of hollowing becomes medium, wheel profile evolution improves the conformal contact that decreases the accumulated surface initiated RCF in the switch panel. As the degree of hollowing becomes severe, the false flange's contact with the wing rail is prone to RCF in the crossing panel. •The vehicle-turnout coupling dynamic model was built considering the flexibility of wheelsets and turnout rails.•The maximum vertical wheel-rail force attributed to the contact irregularity decreases by 22% with wheel profile evolution.•The false flange’s contact with wing rails aggravates the lateral axle box acceleration attributed to wheel umbrella modes.•The accumulated surface initiated rolling contact fatigue decreases to minimum as the degree of hollowing is medium.