Study on multiple cracks behaviours of the rail due to cyclic rolling contact

In the railway trade, fatigue crack growth continues to be prevailing failures found on rails which may cause rails to fail upon multiples cycles of load. As technology advances, the train is able to travel in much higher speed and heavier rolling wheel loads have been achieved. However, this results in high traction power and contact loading stress on the rails. this leads to a rail having a higher wear rate as well as Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) at the contact point between the rail and the wheel when the wheel is traveling at a higher speed. This project aims to understand Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) crack initiation on the surface and observe the crack propagation in the rails. This project also aims to investigate the crack behaviors in rails with varying variables such as rail material property and initial crack size which will affect the crack propagation. This study helps to understand the fatigue of the rail when a microscopic crack occurs on the surface of the rail as a result of progressive and localized structural damage and determines how long the rail will be able to last before replacing them with a new one. In this study, the author will design a two-dimensional (2D) model of the rail using a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software called Abaqus. Crack initiation will be plotted in the software and cyclic loading will be applied on the rail. This software will then simulate out the propagation of the crack with given varying conditions. For instance, fatigue crack initiation, crack size, and the angle of the initial crack. After the completion of the simulation, the author will be able to investigate the crack behaviors in rails with given conditions.Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering