Formation Mechanisim of Rail Corrugation Occurring on Tight Curved Track with Vanguard Fasteners

In order to study the formation mechanism and countermeasures of the rail corrugation on a tight curved track with vanguard fasteners. First, a self-excited vibration finite element model consisted of the leading wheelset and the track system was established based on the viewpoint of friction-induced vibration causing rail corrugation. The dynamic stability of the wheelset-track system was analyzed using the complex eigenvalue method. Then, the dominant factors affecting the rail corrugation were found through the parameter sensitivity analysis, and the countermeasures to suppress or eliminate the rail corrugation were put forward. The results show that the self-excited vibration of the wheelset-track system at 319 Hz induced by the saturated creep force between the wheel and the rail is the main cause of severe rail corrugation on the inner rail. The corrugation wavelength predicted by the model is 51.4 mm, which is closed to the measured data. The parameter sensitivity analysis shows that the modulus of elasticity and damping coefficient of the rubber rest pad in the vanguard fasteners have a great influence on the rail corrugation, the larger the elastic modulus and damping coefficient are, the lower the probability of rail corrugation occurrence is. The rubber rest pad with high modulus of elasticity and damping coefficient is beneficial to the suppression or even elimination of the rail corrugation. when the damping coefficient of the rubber rest pad is above 0.000 1, the rail corrugation can significantly be alleviated.