Title: Wheel polygonal wear of metro vehicles caused by wheel-rail P2 force resonance

Authors: Yixuan Shi; Qingzhou Mao; Huanyun Dai; Cuijun Dong

Addresses: School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430070, China ' School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430070, China ' State Key Laboratory of Rail Transit Vehicle System, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 610031, China ' School of Remote Sensing and Information Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430070, China

Abstract: Wheel polygonal wear significantly affects vibration performance of rail vehicles. In this study, dynamic track test is carried out and dynamical modelling for a vehicle-track vertical coupling system is developed. Results show that the wheel polygonal wear of order 7-9 occurs in the measured vehicle, resulting in the forced vibration with frequencies of 50-70 Hz, which is close to the resonant frequency of wheel-rail P2 force under vehicle-track coupling conditions. The polygonal vibration of the wheel on floating slab track is caused by the wheel-rail P2 force resonance, the frequency is consistent with the wheel polygonal characteristic frequency around 60 Hz, and it is the periodic irregular rail welded joints in a line that trigger the P2 force resonance mode. This paper explores the mechanism of metro wheel polygonal wear formation in terms of vehicle-track coupling effects.

Keywords: metro vehicle; wheel polygonal wear; vehicle-track coupling; wheel-rail P2 force; dynamic test.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2026.152624

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2026 Vol.20 No.1, pp.73 - 92

Received: 26 Dec 2024
Accepted: 03 Apr 2025
Published online: 31 Mar 2026 *

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