Influence of Frequency-dependent Dynamic Properties of Rail Pads on High-frequency Vibration of Wheel-rail System Induced by Rail Corrugation

Research purposes: In order to study the influence of frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads on the vibration response of wheel-rail system induced by rail corrugation, the frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads were tested and characterized, and a vertical coupled dynamics model for metro vehicle and track was established to analyze the influence of frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads on the high frequency dynamic response of wheel-rail system induced by rail corrugation with the measured rail corrugation data as the excitation input. Research conclusions: (1) In the double logarithmic coordinate system, the stiffness (damping coefficient) of the rail pads was approximately linearly positively correlated (negatively correlated) with the excitation frequency. (2) Considering the frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads, the dynamic response of wheel-rail system decreased significantly in the range of corrugation-induced frequency except for the rail vibration acceleration. And the main frequency of rail vibration response was still in the corrugation-induced frequency band. (3) The frequency-dependent dynamic properties of rail pads would increase the vibration response of wheel-rail system in the range of 35~90 Hz and above 700 Hz, which should be considered when predicting the vibration characteristics of metro environment and high-frequency wheel-rail noise. (4) The research conclusions can provide a theoretical and experimental basis for the dynamic evaluation of wheel-rail system induced by rail corrugation in metro. © 2019, Editorial Department of Journal of Railway Engineering Society. All right reserved.