Prediction of running safety for a tramcar equipped with independently rotating wheels by means of numerical simulations and experimental tests

This paper deals with the assessment of flange climb derailment in bogies with independently rotating wheels, through experimental tests and numerical simulations. An extensive experimental campaign has been carried out on a full-scale test rig , allowing to induce the wheelset derailment under controlled conditions, of a tramcar wheelset equipped with independently rotating wheels. In parallel to the experimental tests, a numerical simulator of the test-rig was used, for the definition of the conditions to be tested in order to achieve derailment, and for the validation of the developed wheel/rail contact model, in extreme conditions of flange climb derailment. Finally a vehicle numerical simulator was adopted to extend derailment analysis in transient conditions, also accounting for the dynamics of the whole vehicle.