• CN: 11-2187/TH
  • ISSN: 0577-6686

Journal of Mechanical Engineering ›› 2021, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (18): 15-22.doi: 10.3901/JME.2021.18.015

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Investigation on Propagation Characteristics of Elastic Wave in Different Wear Rail

CHEN Rong1,2, JIANG Wenqiang1,2, LI Haoran1,2, XU Jingmang1,2, HU Chenyang1,2, TIAN Yuhong3   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of High-Speed Railway Engineering, Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031;
    2. School of Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031;
    3. Chengdu Yijian Engineering Consulting Agency Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610074
  • Received:2021-01-06 Revised:2021-06-05 Online:2021-09-20 Published:2021-11-30

Abstract: If the rail wear occurs in the main line, which can affect the elastic wave propagation and further influence the elastic wave identification of the damage. The semi-analytical finite element method is verified by field tests. Based on the theoretical method, the dispersion curves of five types rails with different vertical wear rates are obtained, and the dispersion characteristics of the rails after wear are compared with the wave structures. The wave structure characteristics that are sensitive and insensitive to vertical wear are analyzed based on the variation of group velocity, and verified by simulation. The results show that the frequency of intersecting or deflection of dispersion curves near the same frequency increases with the increase of vertical wear under different vertical wear conditions, while the phase velocity at the intersecting or deflection of the curves is opposite. The insensitive wave mode propagates mainly through the rail waist and the rail bottom, while the sensitive wave mode propagates mainly through the rail head or the full section. The simulation results show that the vertical vibration wave mode of rail head is sensitive to rail vertical wear, and the influence of rail wear should be considered when selecting this wave mode to detect rail defects.

Key words: worn rail, elastic wave, semi-analytical finite element method, dispersion characteristics, wave structures

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