Traction-creepage curve identification at the wheel/rail interface: A fast experimental approach

The development and refinement of theoretical and empirical models of the traction-creepage relationship in rolling contact (and more specifically wheel/rail contact) over many years by numerous researchers has resulted in a comprehensive understanding of this relationship, and a corresponding ability to incorporate a sophisticated representation of rolling friction in applications such as vehicle dynamics simulation and wheel/rail damage prediction. These tools can be highly useful when considering and examining the potential impacts of various materials used to control friction between the wheel and rail in pursuing a range of corresponding benefits. With that said, obtaining detailed traction-creepage data for specific combinations of wheel/rail materials and third-body layer contaminants (required to enable simulations) has remained somewhat involved and intensive (to the extent that the availability of this data is quite limited). In this paper, a novel measurement approach to identify the traction-creepage curve under various contact conditions is developed and evaluated. The approach has the potential to generate meaningful traction-creepage curves quickly (within a fraction of a minute) and with simplicity. A comparison with the results from previous studies using conventional methods suggests that the proposed approach warrants future consideration.