Influence of Roughness of Working Surfaces of the Wheel–Rail System of Open-Pit Locomotives with an Implementable Adhesion Coefficient

Abstract

The results of theoretical and experimental investigations of the interaction between the working surfaces of wheel treads of open-pit locomotives with rails are presented. The actual values of the height of microroughness when profiling the working surface of the rail head for reducing the running-in period of the wheel–rail system are determined, which positively influences increasing the adhesion coefficient and economic operation life of industrial railway transport. The optimal value of the height of microroughnesses of the interacting surfaces under rail-grinding, which can be within R_z = 40–20 μm, is determined. Guaranteeing the optimal height of microroughnesses of the working surfaces of the wheel–rail system, in turn, will make it possible to calculate the predicted design value of the friction coefficient of the wheel tread of the open-pit locomotive with the rail.