Analysis of Rail - Wheel Contact Stresses Using Finite Element Method in Comparison with Analytical Solution

Contact is the principal method of applying loads between deformable solids, and therefore is present in a wide variety of mechanical components. In addition, contacts usually act as stress concentrations, and are thus probable locations for mechanical failure. Some of the most typical mechanical failures involving contact include: fretting, fretting fatigue, wear, fret ting wear and false brinelling. The contact of UIC - 60 and IRS - T12 rail - wheel has been analyzed by hand calculations to determine contact stresses. A three dimen sional finite element model of both type of rail - wheel contact is developed in ANSYS to compare to the typical hand - calculated s tresse