NTL Record

Title Wheelclimb Derailment Processes and Derailment Criteria
Record ID 50395
Personal Name
Creator
Sweet, Larry M.; Karmel, Amir
Source 198p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator Princeton University
Corporate
Contributor
John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.); United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration
Publisher United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration
Publication Date 19840601
Language English
Abstract The most widely accepted criterion for wheelclimb derailment defines an upper limit for safe operation on wheel/rail contact forces on the climbing wheel, with the limit varying with time duration of the forces. For dynamic wheelclimb processes with significant lateral velocities, lateral forces may be measured for short time durations that are larger than those that may be sustained without derailment in steady state. To study wheelclimb derailment processes and evaluate derailment criteria, a series of derailment experiments was conducted using a one-fifth scale model of a single wheelset on tangent track subjected to static and dynamic loading conditions. The results of these experiments were compared to simulations based on a nonlinear theory developed to represent the important phenomena associated with dynamic wheelclimb. The study shows that the Japanese National Railways (JNR) and other time-duration dependent criteria based on wheel load measurements alone are unsuccessful in predicting derailment safety for dymanic wheelclimb. For wheelclimb processes involving negligible lateral velocities, the derailment limit can be estimated from quasi-steady analysis of wheel/rail forces. Evidence has been found that derailment criteria employing variables measured in addition to wheel loads may be successful in predicting derailment safety, and that diagnostic criteria may be developed for warning of impending derailment.
Rosap ID dot:11782
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/11782
TRT Terms Crash risk forecasting; Railroad wheels; Derailments; Force; L/V ratio; Railroad rails; Risk assessment; Rolling contact; Safety; Wheels
Classification NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - Rail Safety;
NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - RAIL TRANSPORTATION;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Accidents;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Rail Safety;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Vehicle Design
Geographical
Coverage
United States; Japan
Report Number DOT-FRA-ORD-84-05; DOT-TSC-FRA-83-6
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/50000/50300/50395/PB85149367.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository