Measurement of wheel-rail lateral force using shear strain of wheel web in railway vehicle (Comparison with a conventional bending based method under wheel rotating condition)

HONDO, Takatoshi; KUNIYUKI, Shoya; TANAKA, Takayuki; SUZUKI, Mitsugi; Hisayo, DOI · 2021 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1299/transjsme.21-00253

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This paper addresses the measurement of wheel-rail lateral force in railway vehicles, specifically aiming to reduce the influence of wheel load (vertical force) on lateral force accuracy. Conventional instrumented wheelsets measure lateral force by detecting bending deformation of the wheel web. However, this method suffers from cross-sensitivity, where the vertical wheel load induces a bending moment that contaminates the lateral force signal, particularly when the contact point shifts laterally. The authors propose a new measurement configuration that utilizes the shear strain of the wheel web, rather than bending strain, to measure lateral force. This study validates the accuracy and practicality of this proposed shear-strain method under rotating wheel conditions, comparing it against the conventional bending-based method. The experimental design involved static load tests and single-wheelset roller-rig tests. During static tests, lateral, vertical, and longitudinal forces were applied at various circumferential and lateral positions to determine sensitivity characteristics. These data were approximated using Fourier series to model the relationship between strain output, force magnitude, and contact position. For the dynamic validation, a roller-rig test bench simulated running conditions at approximately 30 km/h. The instrumented wheelset was equipped with strain gauges configured for both the conventional bending method and the proposed shear method. Lateral contact positions were measured directly using paint transfer on the tread. Strain signals were filtered and processed to extract "intermittent" lateral and vertical forces, which were then analyzed to assess correlation and cross-sensitivity effects. The results demonstrate that the intermittent lateral forces measured by the proposed shear method exhibit a strong correlation with those measured by the conventional method, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.97 to 1.00 across test cases. Although the sensitivity to lateral force in the proposed method is approximately one-third of the conventional method, the signal-to-noise ratio remains sufficient for practical use with standard filtering. Crucially, the proposed method yielded lower lateral force values than the conventional method when the contact point shifted toward the flange. Analysis of the difference between the two methods confirmed that this reduction aligns with the predicted decrease in cross-sensitivity to wheel load. The linear relationship between the normalized difference in lateral force and the lateral contact position supported the hypothesis that the shear-strain method effectively mitigates the error induced by wheel load-induced bending moments. The significance of this work lies in providing a validated alternative for measuring wheel-rail lateral force that reduces measurement errors caused by vertical load interactions. By utilizing shear strain, the proposed method offers improved accuracy in safety assessments, such as derailment coefficient calculations, particularly under conditions where contact position varies. The study confirms that the shear-strain configuration is a practical and effective replacement for conventional bending-based instrumented wheelsets, enhancing the reliability of running safety evaluations in railway operations.

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