Stability analysis and design of on-board rail-wheel solid stick friction management systems

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Controlling friction at rail-wheel interface is indispensable to extend the rail-wheel life, improve fuel efficiency, reduce noise and lateral forces in curved railway track sections. LB Foster's friction management systems are being used by railway networks worldwide. One form of friction management system employs a solid stick lubricant, which is directly applied to the wheel flange of a transit vehicle. The forces of contact in the wheel stick contact region can sometimes lead to the onset of vibrations within the friction management structural assembly, severely compromising the performance expected from the friction control technology. Friction induced vibrations in solid stick systems is a very complex, and to date, unpredictable phenomenon that can lead to hardware failures, stick failures, excessive noise from stick chatter and poor performance of the solid stick system. Existing empirical approaches, used by industry, to counter this vibration problem have been costly and unreliable. Significant capital investment is required to outfit a fleet of trains with solid stick technology and if excessive vibrations are found, significant resources are required to ameliorate the problem. The proposed collaborative research will lead to a fundamental understanding of the principal design factors behind friction-induced vibrations in solid stick systems by systematically modelling the vibration phenomena using rigorous modelling and experimental methods. This science driven approach will help develop evaluation tools to predict the occurrence of these unstable vibrations and foster design changes to minimize their impact. Reduction in emissions through increased fuel economy, resulting from effective friction management, is a concomitant environmental benefit of this engineering science driven research.