idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
In interdisciplinary co-operation with ten renowned European partners the Fraunhofer Institute for Durabil-ity and System Reliability LBF researched new methods of development for the reliable dimensioning of high performance wheel sets for rail-bound vehicles. Based on a new methodology the project partners Lucchini and Otto Fuchs developed the prototypes of the HIPERWHEEL. The advanced hybrid design combines modern steel and aluminium materials (30NiCrMo V12; AlMgSi31; 6082-T6), which allow an approx. 25 % reduc-tion in weight, compared to standard steel wheel sets. The HIPERWHEEL will be used predominantly in the European regional and suburban traffic. The market volume in this sector by 2009 will amount, according to a study of the consulting firm SCI Verkehr GmbH - "European Operator Market for Short- Distance Passen-ger Traffic" - up to € 4.9bn.
For the development of a methodology that is valid Europe-wide extensive fundamental research was carried out. These resulted in the conclusion, that the decay of the fatigue strength under contact fatigue is different in the "Wöhler-" and the "Gaßner"-test. "Wöhler"-tests rely on constant force amplitudes whereas "Gaßner"-tests are based on variable force amplitudes during durability tests. For wheel sets this means that a reliable lay out design is only possible with tests under near-service conditions. The striking point for the new wheel set methodology, which considers modern materials, compound techniques and manufacturing processes, was the comprehensive experimental and numeric identification of the operation loads on different railway networks, so realistic near-service conditions could be created.
The final analysis of the HIPERWHEEL was carried out in the world-wide unique LBF wheel set test rig, by means of programmed durability tests on a virtual test track. The stress analysis was optimized experimentally and by numeric simulation with the LBF®.WheelStrength software. In the tests an optimised version of the wheel set reached 70.000 kilometres, which is equivalent to a life span of approximately 10 million km. The project is based on a broad, interdisciplinary field of research and covers among other things the
- experimental and numeric determination of the operating loads on different railway networks
- analysis of data to evaluate noise, comfort, running performance and durability
- lay out design of new wheel sets in steel and hybrid construction method (steel, aluminium) with the help of different experimental and numeric methods
- description of the damage mechanisms of contact fatigue at shrinking hubs and during the wheel rail contact.
The test results confirm the development methodology for a reliable lay out design of new wheel sets, so that serious deficits in the European standards UIC 510-5, EN 13104 and EN 13261, in particular for new wheel sets with modern materials, compound techniques and manufacturing processes, can be overcome.
The lay out design of several wheel set components according to the above standards led to numerous breaks and product recalls in recent years. With the application of new methodology and the use of the wheel set test rig, new in-novative products with the necessary safety can be layed out, and according to their operational use, developed and optimised computationally. "In the HIPERWHEEL project all the experts involved have contributed to a methodically reliable and durable lay out design of complex safety components for rail wheel sets. With our cognitions and recommendations we would like to contribute to overcoming the serious deficits in the respective European standards", summarises Dr. Gerhard Fischer of the Fraunhofer LBF the results.
http://www.lbf.fraunhofer.de/hiperwheel
HIPERWEEL wheel set: safe and light with hybrid construction.
Source: Fraunhofer LBF
None
Numeric computation of the required fatigue strength of the hybrid wheel set.
Source: Fraunhofer LBF
None
Criteria of this press release:
Materials sciences, Mechanical engineering, Traffic / transport
transregional, national
Research projects, Research results
English
HIPERWEEL wheel set: safe and light with hybrid construction.
Source: Fraunhofer LBF
None
Numeric computation of the required fatigue strength of the hybrid wheel set.
Source: Fraunhofer LBF
None
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