A new efficient conformal contact model for multibody and railway applications

The conformity effect of the contact patch can have an important influence on the local and global contact variables and then on the vehicle dynamics. For this reason, this paper proposes an innovative conformal contact model for multibody railway applications based on an extension of the classic Kik–Piotrowski contact model by using Blanco–Lorenzo’s influence coefficients. Thanks to the high numerical efficiency, the proposed conformal contact model has been implemented into a complex multibody model. The proposed model and the classic Kik–Piotrowski contact model have been compared in terms of global contact variables in a specific track section, first with a new S1002 wheel profile and a new 60 E1 rail profile and after with a worn S1002 wheel profile and a new 60 E1 rail profile, to study the proposed model in presence of conformal contact conditions. The proposed model and the classic Kik–Piotrowski contact model have been also compared in terms of local contact variables in different wheel–rail relative positions and orientations. A preliminary FE validation in terms of normal pressure distribution has been done.