Abstract: In order to predict the wheel wear life, the wheel wear model, including multi-body system dynamic model of vehicle, the non-Hertzian rolling contact theory of wheel and rail and wheel material wear model is used. The wheel wear model is used to predict the wheel profile wear with different vehicle operating mileages. The influence of the wheel profile wear on the lateral motion stability of vehicle is also investigated, subsequently, the estimation condition of the wheel profile wear life is proposed based on the lateral motion stability of railway vehicle. The results show that, the wear volume and depth of the wheel at its nominal rolling radius almost linearly increase with the operating mileage cumulate, and the wear volume and depth of the wheel of first wheelset are larger than the second one. The critical speed of the vehicle operation has a trend of reducing with the wheel profile wear increase. When the vehicle operating mileage exceeds 30×104 km the critical speed decreases rapidly as a result of wheel profile wear. The calculated critical speed is lower than the average value of the vehicle operation speed, after the operating mileage exceeds 33×104 km. Wheel re-profiling is necessary when the operating mileage of the vehicle exceeds a certain value to ensure the safety operating.

Key words: Critical speed, Dynamic simulation, Lateral motion stability, Wheel wear