An Investigation into the Effect of the Number of the Rubber Blocks of a Resilient Wheel on Wheel-Rail Noise

Resilient wheels are widely used in trams due to their ability to reduce noise and vibration. A resilient wheel typically consists of a steel rim, a steel wheel core, a rubber layer, and a press-fit ring on the tram. The rubber layer, which contributes to the noise and vibration reduction, is formed by rubber blocks that are uniformly separated in the circumferential direction. These gaps between the rubber blocks allow for free deformation of the blocks in the circumferential direction, resulting in a lower stiffness than that of a continuous rubber layer. To facilitate the press-fit process, the rubber layer is divided into blocks. This paper employs a wheel/rail noise prediction model to investigate the effect of the number of rubber blocks on wheel-rail noise.