Comparison of simplified and complete contact modelling approaches in simulations of high adhesion locomotives

The estimation of traction for real locomotives is a quite complex task and is commonly performed by means of numerical studies. The results obtained in such investigations are fully dependent on the contacting modelling approaches used to describe processes under traction at the wheel-rail interface. This paper focuses on analyses of simulation results delivered with implementation of the modified Fastsim and Extended CONTACT algorithms for the calculation of creep forces. An actual operation of high adhesion locomotives in heavy haul train configuration has been chosen for the comparison of the algorithms, and advanced simulation techniques that include longitudinal train and multibody dynamics have been used to explore differences in locomotive traction performance.