Publication detail

Fatigue lifetime estimation of railway axles

NÁHLÍK, L. POKORNÝ, P. FAJKOŠ, R. HUTAŘ, P. ŠEVČÍK M. MATUŠEK P.

English title

Fatigue lifetime estimation of railway axles

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

en

Original abstract

The railway axles are subjected to cyclic loading during their operation. Their load is of long-term nature, therefore a real risk of fatigue failure exists. This failure could lead to derailment of the whole train with serious consequences. To prevent such scenario, the railway axles have to be safely removed from operation before their final failure occurs. This paper presents methodology for the residual fatigue lifetime prediction of the railway axle based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics concept. The methodology contains estimation of the critical position of initial crack, prediction of the fatigue crack front shape development during crack propagation, separation of the bending and press-fitting contributions to the axle load, experimental measurement of the crack growth kinetics of EA4T steel and subsequent estimation of the residual fatigue lifetime of railway axle. Part of the presented study is also devoted to the probability aspects of determination of material characteristics describing fatigue crack propagation and retardation effects caused by existence of plastic zone ahead of propagating fatigue crack. Described methodology is already applied in the design process of new railway axles in Bonatrans company. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

English abstract

The railway axles are subjected to cyclic loading during their operation. Their load is of long-term nature, therefore a real risk of fatigue failure exists. This failure could lead to derailment of the whole train with serious consequences. To prevent such scenario, the railway axles have to be safely removed from operation before their final failure occurs. This paper presents methodology for the residual fatigue lifetime prediction of the railway axle based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics concept. The methodology contains estimation of the critical position of initial crack, prediction of the fatigue crack front shape development during crack propagation, separation of the bending and press-fitting contributions to the axle load, experimental measurement of the crack growth kinetics of EA4T steel and subsequent estimation of the residual fatigue lifetime of railway axle. Part of the presented study is also devoted to the probability aspects of determination of material characteristics describing fatigue crack propagation and retardation effects caused by existence of plastic zone ahead of propagating fatigue crack. Described methodology is already applied in the design process of new railway axles in Bonatrans company. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords in English

Residual fatigue lifetime; Railway axle; Variable amplitude loading; Fatigue crack propagation; Damage tolerance methodology

Released

01.01.2017

Publisher

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Location

OXFORD

ISSN

1350-6307

Volume

2017

Number

73

Pages from–to

139–157

Pages count

19

BIBTEX


@article{BUT170578,
  author="Luboš {Náhlík} and Pavel {Pokorný} and Rostislav {Fajkoš} and Pavel {Hutař},
  title="Fatigue lifetime estimation of railway axles",
  year="2017",
  volume="2017",
  number="73",
  month="January",
  pages="139--157",
  publisher="PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD",
  address="OXFORD",
  issn="1350-6307"
}