Special Class of Contact Problems and the Calculation of the State of Stress of Wheel / Rail System Elements

Abstract

A special class of contact problems arises if the combined state of stress of the active system elements in contact is governed both by the field of contact stresses and the field of stresses that is caused by volume loads (bending, tension -compression, torsion, etc.). The main principles of solving such problems are given in this work. An active roller/ring system may to a certain extent serve as a model of a wheel/rail system. It is due to the fact that there is not only contact interaction in the wheel/rail system but also bending of the rail. The method of investigation of the state of stress of elements of such systems in the conditions of both static (accompanied by bending) and rolling (dynamic) contact is presented in the work. Numerical solution for the state of stress of the roller and ring is given. It shows that in some areas bending leads to the change of the sign of stresses. Their absolute values in some points change by hundred percent.