Effect of ambient temperature on wheel and rail wear: Development and validation of new laws

In this study, we extend the existing modeling approach for wear prediction by incorporating ambient temperature as a crucial factor. To investigate its influence, we conducted a series of wear tests under varying ambient temperatures and hardness ratios in a controlled laboratory environment. Based on the empirical findings, we propose novel wear laws and determine the corresponding coefficients for these formulas. To validate the efficacy of our proposed wear laws, we present a numerical example focused on an application in a railway metro line. By comparing the simulated results with field measurements, we establish the strong consistency between them. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is performed to comprehensively assess the impact of ambient temperature and hardness ratio on wear evolution.