Integration of grinding limitations on rail profile optimisation processes

A promising approach to control wear and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) on wheel and rail profiles is to optimise the rail geometry for improved wheel-rail contact conditions in order to minimise contact pressures, creepages, and creep forces by achieving a better match between the wheel and rail profiles. Typically, optimised profiles are implemented through rail grinding. However, achieving a substantially different target profile requires greater grinding depth and material removal, which shortens rail life, making it essential to account for these limitations in rail profile optimisation processes. This study presents how to include grinding limitations in rail profile optimisation processes and studies its effect by optimising two rail profiles, one considering grinding limitations and another without such consideration, to assess their comparative impact on a multi-objective optimisation process and resulting profiles. Furthermore, the degree of conformality of the wheel-rail contact between wheel and rail are analysed and its relationship with contact pressure, wear, and rolling contact fatigue (RCF) is investigated.