Green's functions for analysis of dynamic response of wheel/rail to vertical excitation

An analytical model to simulate wheel/rail interaction using the Green''s functions method is proposed in this paper. The model consists of a moving wheel on a discretely supported rail. Particularly for this model of rail, the bending and the longitudinal displacement are coupled due to the rail pad and a complex model of the rail pad is adopted. An efficient method for solving a time-domain analysis for wheel/rail interaction is presented. The method is based on the properties of the rail''s Green functions and starting to these functions, a track''s Green matrix is assembled for the numerical simulations of wheel/rail response due to three kinds of vertical excitations: the steady-state interaction, the rail corrugation and the wheel flat. The study points to influence of the worn rail—rigid contact—on variation in the wheel/rail contact force. The concept of pinned–pinned inhibitive rail pad is also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]