BS EN 15302:2021 Railway Applications: Wheel-Rail Contact Geometry Parameters

Definitions and Methods for Evaluation

Standard Number: BS EN 15302:2021

Pages: 144

Released: 2021-10-29

ISBN: 978 0 580 98206 4

Status: Standard

Overview

The BS EN 15302:2021 standard is an essential document for professionals in the railway industry, providing comprehensive guidelines on the wheel-rail contact geometry parameters. This standard is crucial for ensuring the safety, efficiency, and reliability of railway operations. Released on October 29, 2021, and spanning 144 pages, this document offers in-depth definitions and methods for evaluating the critical aspects of wheel-rail contact geometry.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Coverage: The standard covers all essential parameters related to wheel-rail contact geometry, ensuring that all aspects are thoroughly addressed.
• Detailed Definitions: Provides clear and precise definitions of key terms and concepts, facilitating a better understanding of the subject matter.
• Evaluation Methods: Offers robust methods for evaluating wheel-rail contact geometry parameters, ensuring accurate and reliable assessments.
• Industry Relevance: Tailored specifically for railway applications, making it highly relevant for professionals in the field.
• Up-to-Date Information: Reflects the latest advancements and best practices in the industry, ensuring that users have access to the most current information.

Why This Standard is Important

The wheel-rail contact geometry is a critical aspect of railway engineering, directly impacting the performance, safety, and longevity of railway systems. Proper understanding and evaluation of these parameters are essential for:

• Safety: Ensuring that the wheel-rail interface operates safely under various conditions, reducing the risk of accidents and derailments.
• Efficiency: Optimizing the interaction between wheels and rails to enhance the efficiency of railway operations, leading to smoother rides and reduced energy consumption.
• Maintenance: Facilitating proactive maintenance strategies by identifying potential issues early, thereby extending the lifespan of railway components.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Reducing operational costs by minimizing wear and tear on both wheels and rails, leading to fewer replacements and repairs.

Who Should Use This Standard?

The BS EN 15302:2021 standard is indispensable for a wide range of professionals in the railway industry, including:

• Railway Engineers: Engineers responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of railway systems will find this standard invaluable for ensuring optimal wheel-rail interactions.
• Safety Inspectors: Inspectors tasked with ensuring the safety of railway operations can use this standard to evaluate the integrity of the wheel-rail interface.
• Maintenance Teams: Maintenance personnel can leverage the guidelines provided to implement effective maintenance strategies, reducing downtime and extending the life of railway components.
• Researchers and Academics: Those involved in railway research and education can use this standard as a reference for the latest industry practices and methodologies.

Content Highlights

The BS EN 15302:2021 standard is meticulously structured to provide a comprehensive understanding of wheel-rail contact geometry parameters. Some of the key sections include:

• Introduction: An overview of the importance of wheel-rail contact geometry and the objectives of the standard.
• Definitions: Detailed definitions of key terms and concepts related to wheel-rail contact geometry.
• Evaluation Methods: Step-by-step methods for evaluating the various parameters, including measurement techniques and analytical approaches.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples and case studies illustrating the application of the standard in different scenarios.
• Appendices: Additional resources, including tables, charts, and diagrams, to support the evaluation process.

Conclusion

The BS EN 15302:2021 standard is a vital resource for anyone involved in the railway industry. By providing clear definitions and robust evaluation methods for wheel-rail contact geometry parameters, this standard helps ensure the safety, efficiency, and reliability of railway operations. Whether you are an engineer, safety inspector, maintenance professional, or researcher, this standard will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to excel in your role.

BS EN 15302:2021

This standard BS EN 15302:2021 Railway applications. Wheel-rail contact geometry parameters. Definitions and methods for evaluation is classified in these ICS categories:

• 17.040.20 Properties of surfaces
• 45.060.01 Railway rolling stock in general

This document establishes definitions and evaluation methods for wheel-rail contact geometry parameters influencing the vehicle running dynamic behaviour:

1. the rolling radius difference between the two wheels of a wheelset (? r-function) which serves as a basis for all further calculations;

2. the equivalent conicity function from which are derived:

   1. a single equivalent conicity value for a specified amplitude which is relevant for the assessment of vehicle running stability on straight track and in very large radius curves according to EN 14363 ;

   2. the nonlinearity parameter which characterizes the shape of this function and is related to the vehicle behaviour particularly in the speed range close to the running stability limit;

3. the rolling radii coefficient which is used to describe the theoretical radial steering capability of a wheelset in a curved track.

Additional information is given about the relationship between the contact angles of the two wheels of a wheelset (?tan?-function) and about the roll angle parameter.

Descriptions of possible calculation methods are included in this document. Test case calculations are provided to achieve comparable results and to check the proper implementation of the described algorithms.

To validate alternative methods not described in this document acceptance criteria are given for the equivalent conicity function. This includes reference profiles, profile combinations, tolerances and reference results with tolerance limits.

This document also includes minimum requirements for the measurement of wheel and rail profiles as well as of the parameters needed for the transformation into a common coordinate system of right- and left-hand profiles.

This document does not define limits for the wheel-rail contact geometry parameters and gives no tolerances for the rail profile and the wheel profile to achieve acceptable results.

For the application of this document some general recommendations are given.