Optimising Rail Grinding Practice for Premium Rail Materials

铁路磨削目前使用定制的列车进行，配备了一系列玻璃结合磨石，用于从铁路轨道上去除材料。磨削以两种不同的模式进行：预防性磨削-用于取下少量材料以使轨道恢复到最佳轮廓，确保良好的轮轨接触，有助于减少损坏并保持乘坐舒适性；纠正磨削-用于消除钢轨上的损伤，如滚动接触疲劳（RCF）裂纹。有很少的科学背后的选择磨削参数，导致更高的力量和速度被用于磨石比必要的。这将导致高热量的产生和钢组织的变化，形成脆性马氏体，即所谓的“白色蚀刻层”（WEL）在钢轨表面。井是裂纹扩展和深坑损伤形成的起始点，这是目前欧洲铁路面临的比RCF更大的问题。该项目的目的是委托一个新的试验台进行钢轨磨削研究，并建立标准和更硬更耐用的优质钢轨的磨削参数，以确保可以根据需要去除材料，同时最小化井的产生。

Railway grinding is currently carried out using bespoke trains equipped with a series of vitrious bonded grinding stones that are used to remove material from the railway track. Grinding is carried out in two different modes: preventive grinding - used to take off small amounts of material to return track to its optimum profile ensuring good wheel/rail contact helping to reduce damage and maintain ride comfort; corrective grinding - used to remove damage on rail such as rolling contact fatigue (RCF) cracks.There is very little science behind the choice of grinding parameters which has led to higher forces and speeds being used for the grinding stones than necessary. This can lead to high heat generation and the steel microstructure changing to form brittle martensite, so called "white etching layer" (WEL) on the rail surface. WEL is an initiation point for crack growth and the formation of squat damage which is now bigger problem for European railways than RCF.The aim of this project is to commission a new test rig for rail grinding research and establish grinding parameters for standard and harder more durable premium rails, to ensure that material can be removed as required, but with minimal WEL creation.