Development of a Wheel-Rail Wear Model Under Conformal Contact Conditions

This paper develops an innovative wear model for wheel-rail contact, addressing the challenges proposed by conformal contact conditions. Traditional models, such as the FASTSIM algorithm, rely on assumptions of flat and elliptical contact areas, which are not applicable to more complex situations. The proposed model incorporates conformal contact assumptions, capable of accurately predicting profile changes. The model is implemented in MATLAB/Simulink and interacts with a multibody vehicle model via the Simpack co-simulation solver. The wear block consists of three phases: contact model, wear model, and profile updating procedure. The test case used corresponds to a typical Italian metropolitan context and it is validated by comparing the results with experimental data. The results indicate localized wear in the tread area, with less wear on the flange side. The model proves effective in accurately