Rail wear modelling concept for heavy haul locomotive study

Comprehensive locomotive models, including motor components, have been developed using the GENSYS software package to study the effect of locomotive high adhesive traction on rail wear damage. The simulations require DC and AC locomotives to run on a sharp curved track with radius of 240 m at a constant speed of 20 km/h. It is assumed the locomotives are under their maximum traction efforts. Also, a modified FASTSIM algorithm was taken into account with a variable friction coefficient to accommodate the situation after the saturation point. The simulations show that the change from a DC locomotive with a maximum traction effort of 388 kN to an AC locomotive with 510 kN, an increase of 31.4%, will cause an increase of the maximum wheel-rail wear index by a quite significant 68.4%. For simulations at the relatively low speed of 20 km/h, the overall wear numbers on the low rail are always larger than those on the high rail regardless of the type of locomotive. In addition, almost all wheels of the AC locomotive cause severe rail wear conditions.