On estimating the risk of wheel damage for wagons with paper rolls considering various dynamic conditions

Sammanfattning: Hector Rail AB is a Swedish line haul provider for the European Rail Transport Market. On one of their lines, Hector Rail transports large cylinder-shaped paper rolls of different sizes from Holmsund to Skövde, and compressed recycled paper back to Holmsund, with Y25 bogie wagons. The wheels of these wagons experience surface initiated rolling contact fatigue, RCF, which is increasing the maintenance cost. In a collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology a study of the risk of developing RCF cracks when comparing different track qualities, load cases, speeds, curves and wheel-rail friction coefficients as well as the consideration of wear is carried out. The difference in surface initiated RCF when applying the different input parameters is analysed. The location along the track where the wheels are likely to initiate RCF is calculated, as well as the location of RCF on the wheels. The model also provides the curve characteristics that are most likely to initiate RCF on the wheels. This tool can be used for optimising and further streamlining the operation for freight traffic on this (or any other) line with respect to wheel damages and planned maintenance.