Improvements in railway rail profiles

Abstract

The present disclosure comprises profiles for constructing railway rails, each profile of the rail being provided with at least one pair of webs, as well as a number of cutouts of geometric shapes, allowing for the crossing of wires and cables for several purposes. The webs arranged more transversely to the center of the rail give the rail greater stability. The number of holes also gives a greater capacity to absorb stresses and vibrations, which results in improved train stability, especially at high speeds. The adopted shape also shows greater mechanical strength compared to common rail profiles, with the same amount of material.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] [Technical field] The present disclosure relates to improvements in railway rail profiles of the type laid and fastened to sleepers for track rolling surface construction, in particular said profiles incorporating innovations including triple or double web configurations to improve rail stability and therefore performance of rail transport vehicles, and said webs are provided with holes to allow crossing of various wires or cables.

[0002] [Background technology] Currently, rail transport has the highest cargo transport capacity of all land transport methods, and transports a wide variety of cargo, including people, bulk cargo such as minerals, agricultural products, livestock products, unified cargo, steel materials, and liquid bulk cargo such as oil, gasoline, and liquid nitrogen.

[0003] For railway vehicles to function properly, it is important that the rails have the ideal shape and strength to withstand the loads exerted by the train wheels, thus ensuring safe travel.

[0004] Generally, railway rails consist of steel bars or beams, whose basic profile is of the "Vignole" type, consisting of a foot, a web and a head, as defined in NBR 7590 and NBR 7650. That is, for example, NBR 7650 defines the head as the part of the rail intended for the support and movement of the railway wheels, the web as the part of the rail between the head and the foot, and the foot as the foundation of the rail, constituted by the longest mass of the two "T's", through which the rail is supported and fixed to the sleepers.

[0005] It was discovered that existing rail profiles have a predefined load capacity that limits the passage of trains and similar vehicles carrying heavier loads than the rail was designed for, thus reducing the train's speed performance when heavier vehicles use the rail.

[0006] Another limitation of normal railway rail profiles lies in the fact that train stability is low in curves, and due to the low stability of trains in the configuration and at high speeds, they have to slow down in curves, which results in more fuel consumption.

[0007] Another drawback of conventional railway rail profiles is the fact that the same rail shape cannot be used for light loads (usually passenger cars) and heavy loads, therefore a variety of single web models are required, varying by web weight per metre length, e.g. TR-25 at 24.6kg / m, TR-32 at 32.0kg / m, TR-37 at 37.1kg / m, TR-45 at 44.6kg / m, etc., each made to carry a specific load.

[0008] Another limitation is the environmental impact caused by constantly changing railway rail profiles damaged by excessive load weight.

[0009] [Prior art] In the current state of the art there are documents which refer to railway rail profiles, for example PI 9406964-6, which refers to a rail for use in railway rails having a section, a head with a traffic carrying surface and a base, the head including a traffic carrying surface made of low carbon martensite.

[0010] Document CN102330390 refers to a railway rail with an impact absorbing layer, sleepers, barriers and a composite rail, and includes a rail sleeve and a rail beam, and the rail is rigidly connected to the rail riser beam.

[0011] Document CN202595583 provides a guide rail for continuous casting rails, which aims to improve the lubrication between the guide rail and the rollers and reduce wear, the rail includes a left side wall and a right side wall, and a groove containing lubricant is arranged at the position where the rollers contact the left side wall and the right side wall, the groove is arranged at the surface where the rollers contact the guide rail, and the groove is filled with lubricant, thereby reducing losses due to rolling friction and extending the life of the guide rail and the rollers.

[0012] Document CN2292829 discloses a new type of railway rail, which includes not only a rail, but also components directly bonded to the rail, supports, and structures bonded below the supports, which need to be associated for the proposed disclosure to function, as seen in FIG. 1 of the application. As a result, the present disclosure includes a train rail with double or triple webs, which is applied to sleepers in the same way as a conventional rail, and does not require additional components to be installed below the sleepers. Furthermore, the shape of the rail (6) disclosed in the Chinese document is different from that disclosed in the present application. Therefore, the prior art cannot provide the same advantages as the invention proposed by the present disclosure.

[0013] Document CN2789309 describes a type of rail support consisting of two components fixed along the web of the rail to reduce rail vibrations generated by trains. When applied to rails, the support is placed along the web so that the support does not come into contact with the ground. Thus, the disclosure proposed in this Chinese document does not propose a new type of rail with double or triple webs that could provide greater stability to the rail when under load.

[0014] Document US469392 describes a train rail with double webs. The disclosure may or may not include a piece of wood placed between the webs on which rail components are attached. The document does not disclose any description of a rail with the features and advantages proposed in the present disclosure, despite the presence of two webs. Moreover, given the considerable time that has passed since the filing of the US document, it would be impossible for the inventor to envisage the same technical problem as the present disclosure.

[0015] Document US500688 describes several railway rails with different objectives, ranging from rails whose heads are kept at the same height as the installation surface to rails with double heads with lateral supports to avoid bending of the web. Thus, what is disclosed in the document does not suggest or envisage rails with double or triple webs, which are installed in the same way as conventional rails and whose purpose is to increase the strength of the rail with a smaller amount of material and to give the rail greater stability. Moreover, taking into account the filing date of the US500688 document, it would be impossible to envisage the same technical problem as the focus of the present application.

[0016] Document US871232 describes a train rail support fixed to the web by screws in order to eliminate the use of sleepers. This document therefore does not disclose or teach the creation of double or triple web railway rails, which provide greater strength and stability. Moreover, considering the filing date of the aforementioned document, it would be impossible to envisage the same technical problem as the focus of the present application.

[0017] Document US918640 describes a train rail made of possible elements, which presents a triple web. The disclosures in the prior art also use a triple web, but the arrangement in which the side webs (4) run from the base (1) along an inclined surface to the central web (3) does not provide the strength and stability that the present disclosure promotes. This understanding is based on the fact that the loads on the head converge at the junction of the webs. This makes the side webs (4) work mainly in the area of ​​bending, depending on the position of the loads at the head, whereas the side webs of the present disclosure work in the area of ​​compression under the same loads.

[0018] Document WO 00 / 55426 describes a rail installation method consisting of a set of elastic elements fixed together with the train rail, and therefore does not disclose or suggest a train rail with double or triple webs having the same proposed advantages as the present disclosure.

[0019] Finally, no other literature discloses similar technology or the same advantages proposed in this disclosure.

[0020] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present disclosure provides railroad rail construction profiles with at least one pair of webs on each rail profile, in addition to the possibility of multiple geometric cutouts to allow for wire and cable crossings for various purposes. The rail stability is improved as the webs are more laterally positioned relative to the center of the rail. The multiple holes also provide a greater ability to absorb stress and vibrations, thereby improving train stability, especially at high speeds, as well as acting as mooring points for transporting rails.

[0021] The adopted geometric shape also provides higher mechanical strength for the same amount of material used compared to common rail profiles.

[0022] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the features of the present disclosure, and in accordance with preferred embodiments thereof, the accompanying description is accompanied by a set of drawings in which the operation thereof is illustrated in an illustrative, but not limiting manner.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a triple web profile for a railway rail according to the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a side view of a portion of the rail in FIG. 1 and shows some models of holes or cutouts for crossing cables and various wiring, which in turn helps to reduce vibrations, and FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show the cross sections shown in FIG.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view of a triple web rail.

[0026] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional front view of a triple web rail, with the cross-sectional plane passing through the holes in the webs.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a profile according to the present disclosure, in this case a dual web profile for a railway rail.

[0028] 6 and 7 are cross-sectional views taken through the rail of FIG. 5, showing a portion of the double web which is integral and another portion of the double web which has cutouts or holes provided therein.

[0029] Figure 8 shows the simulation results of vertical loads with maximum stress on the TR68 rail (A), double web rail (B), and triple web rail (C).

[0030] Figure 9 shows the simulation results of vertical load with maximum displacement on a TR68 rail (A), a double web rail (B), and a triple web rail (C).

[0031] FIG. 10 shows the stress distribution at the load point in the cross section of a TR68 rail, a double web rail, and a triple web rail.

[0032] FIG. 11 shows the distribution of stresses caused by normal loads in the cross sections of a TR68 rail, a double web rail, and a triple web rail at the load application point.

[0033] Figure 12 shows isometric views of the simulated horizontal load results with maximum stress on a TR68 rail (A), a double web rail (B), and a triple web rail (C).

[0034] FIG. 13 shows the distribution of stresses caused by horizontal loads in the cross sections of a TR68 rail, a double web rail, and a triple web rail at the load application point.

[0035] Figure 14 shows isometric views of the simulation results of horizontal load with maximum displacement for a TR68 rail (A), a double web rail (B), and a triple web rail (C).

[0036] Figure 15 shows the distribution of displacement caused by horizontal load in the cross sections of TR68 rail, double web rail, and triple web rail at the load application point.

[0037] FIG. 16 is an isometric view of the simulated horizontal load results with maximum stress (A) and maximum displacement (B) on a triple web rail with a hole in the web.

[0038] Figure 17 shows the distribution of stress (A) and displacement (B) caused by a horizontal load in a cross section of a triple web rail with a hole in the web.

[0039] FIG. 18 is an isometric view of the simulation results of a vertical load with maximum stress (A) and maximum displacement (B) in a triple web rail with a hole in the web.

[0040] Figure 19 shows the distribution of stress (A) and displacement (B) caused by a normal load in a cross section of a triple web rail with a hole in the web.

[0041] Detailed Description of the Invention With reference to the illustrated drawings, the present disclosure comprises a railway rail profile (10) of the type to be laid and fixed on sleepers (not shown) for the construction of a track rolling surface, said profile (10) being made of steel or other similar material and consisting of a foot (11), a web (12) and a head (13).

[0042] In a first embodiment, the profile (10) provides a web (12) formed by two parallel walls (12a) having thicknesses W1 and W2, while in a second embodiment, the profile (10) provides an arrangement of a central wall (12b) having thickness W2 and two walls (12a) of thicknesses W1 and W3, forming a rail with a triple web (12).

[0043] The profile (10) is in the form of a double or triple web, with a spacing (x) between the walls (12a) ranging from 4 to 45 mm. The webs (12) have a thickness (w1, w2 or w3) ranging from 13 to 18 mm, preferably 9.71 mm for double web rails and 8 mm for triple web rails. It is further provided by the present disclosure that the webs of a double or triple web rail have different thicknesses in the same part of said rail. This variation is interesting in curves where the train loads acting on the rail vary greatly.

[0044] Additionally, the webs (12) may have uniform dimensions to accommodate the rail for different loads, such as curves, or may have varying dimensions, i.e., equal dimensions for the walls (12a) in a double web rail, or equal dimensions for the walls (12a) and central wall (12c) in a triple web rail, or varying spacing between the walls (12a) in a double web rail, or varying spacing between the walls (12a) and / or central wall (12c) in a triple web rail.

[0045] The lower ends of the triple-webbed walls (12a) have oppositely directed side branches (11a) forming a leg (11), while the upper ends of said walls (12a) are joined together by a single sector forming a head (13).

[0046] In both embodiments, the walls (12a) and (12b) are capable of receiving holes or cutouts (14) of various shapes, aligned with one another according to a cross axis (E1), preferably located in the center of said walls, allowing the passage of wires / cables (Cb) and constituting mechanical means of absorption of stresses and vibrations.

[0047] Said cutout (14) can be of various dimensions within the range AA to BB and different shapes such as circular, oval / elliptical and rectangular with rounded corners, both concentric and eccentric, the cutout (14) is preferably concentric, circular or elliptical.

[0048] Additionally, it will be apparent to a skilled engineer that the dimensions of the head, foot, height and overall width of the rail can be varied according to design requirements.

[0049] Thus, the present disclosure proposes a more durable railway rail embodiment with the same linear weight as a conventional rail.

[0050] Thus, one skilled in the art will be able to replicate the present disclosure in the presented embodiments and other variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims, given the knowledge presented herein.

[0051] [Example of embodiment] The embodiments shown in this disclosure are not intended to serve as limitations, but rather to illustrate features of the disclosure.

[0052] One embodiment constructed according to the present disclosure is made from the characteristics of a TR68 rail provided by NBR7590:2012. The TR68 rail is a rail with a linear weight of about 68 kg / m, a height of about 185.74 mm, and widths of the foot (11), head (13) and web (12) of 152.4 mm, 74 mm and 17.46 mm, respectively.

[0053] The evaluated profiles (10) are double web and triple web, and are maintained at the same dimensions as the head and foot of the TR68 rail, with a height of 159.54 mm, a distance between the outer faces of the walls (12a) of 35.42 mm, a distance X of 8 mm for the double web and 16 mm for the triple web, thicknesses W1 and W2 of 13.71 mm for the double web, W1 and W3 of 9.71 mm for the walls (12a) of the triple web rail, and W3 of 8 mm for the central wall (12b) of the triple web rail.

[0054] To highlight the advantages proposed by this disclosure, mechanical simulations were carried out between the double-web and triple-web TR68 rails, which have a density of 7833 kg.m -3 It is formed from steel with an elastic modulus of 199947.953 MPa, Poisson's coefficient of 0.290, yield stress of 262.001 MPa, maximum stress of 358.527 MPa, and elongation of 0.

[0055] The spacing between sleepers is a variable that depends on several factors and should be considered as a fixed dimension in this comparison. It is calculated as a function of the allowable stress of the ballast, the tamping area, the increased wheel load, and the shock coefficient. Furthermore, it also depends on the type of material (wood, concrete, steel, etc.) and gauge of the material the sleepers are made of, as shown in Table 1. Thus, the spacing adopted is 0.70m, as it is the maximum spacing that produces maximum stress and strain in the rail.

[0056] [Table 1]

[0057] The rail dimensions were determined using the "simplified" Talbot method, taking into account inelastic supports spaced 0.70 m apart, regardless of the axle distance of the vehicle (1575 mm, 1727 mm and 1828 mm are the most used in Brazil).

[0058] The load values ​​on the rails were defined based on the maximum load used on Brazilian railways, which is 32 tons per axle, and a safety factor of 2.5 was applied, resulting in a load of 40 tons on each rail.

[0059] The rail was modeled based on the dimensions specified in NBR7590:2012, and the length of the modeled rail was determined based on the size and spacing of the sleepers. As boundary conditions, both ends of the model were cut and crimped, and supported at the contact points with the sleepers. The load application area corresponds to the contact area between the train wheels and the rail.

[0060] The computational mesh used for the analysis consisted of elements of approximately 5 mm along the entire body and 1 mm in areas where finer refinement was required (regions of the double-rail and triple-rail slots). The total number of elements varies depending on the analysis profile. Table 2 shows the information on the mesh used.

[0061] [Table 2]

[0062] The tests evaluated the behavior of the rail against vertical and horizontal loads. The vertical loads arise from the weight of the train as it passes over the rail and the weight of the rail itself (gravity field), which causes vertical deflections. The horizontal loads arise on the system when the train turns over the rail. The performed analysis only considers the static loads on the structure.

[0063] Three rail profiles subjected to vertical loads were simulated. The results were analyzed in terms of maximum stress and strain and are presented below. As a comparison scenario between the profiles, the maximum allowable stress of the material was not considered and the aim of the analysis was to comparatively evaluate the profiles, highlighting the profile with the best stress distribution and the smallest displacement.

[0064] Analysis of the results shown in Figure 8 points out stress concentrations in the load bearing areas and their dissipation by the rail web. No significant stress variations were observed between the rails. Similarly, the displacements observed in Figure 9 also showed no significant differences between the profiles, ranging from 0.52 mm to 0.74 mm.

[0065] Figure 10 and Figure 11 respectively show the distribution of stress and displacement in the rail cross section when the load is applied. Although there are changes in the distribution of stress and displacement, there are few significant differences between the profiles. Table 3 shows the comparison of the maximum displacement.

[0066] [Table 3]

[0067] For horizontal loading, three rail profiles subjected to horizontal loading were simulated. The results were analyzed in terms of maximum stresses and strains and are presented below. As a comparison scenario between the profiles, the maximum allowable stresses of the material were not considered and the purpose of the analysis was a comparative evaluation of the profiles.

[0068] Figure 13 shows the stress distribution of the simulated profile. It can be seen that the maximum stress in the rail is reduced for the double and triple rails. Similarly, Figure 14 shows the reduction in the displacement for the double and triple rails. As shown in Table 4, compared to the TR68 rail, the displacement for the double and triple rails was 64.33% and 68.94%, respectively.

[0069] [Table 4]

[0070] Double and triple profile rails with holes of diameter 1 / 4 inch (6.35 mm) and 1 / 2 inch (12.7 mm) were simulated for the passage of power and data cables. The same horizontal and vertical loads were applied as in the previous case. Figures 16 to 19 show the stress and displacement results when a horizontal load is applied to a triple rail with 1 / 2 inch (12.7 mm) holes. No significant changes were observed in the maximum values ​​obtained when compared to the results of a rail without holes. A similar analysis is observed for the case with 1 / 4 inch (6.35 mm) holes.

[0071] Figure 18 shows the stress and displacement results when a vertical load is applied to a triple rail with a 1 / 2 inch (12.7 mm) hole. Also, no change in stress and displacement was observed for both the 1 / 4 inch (6.35 mm) and 1 / 2 inch (12.7 mm) holes. This shows that drilling holes in the rail does not affect the overall behavior of the system.

[0072] In this simulation, a comparative analysis was conducted on three rails subjected to vertical and horizontal loads, and the maximum stress and maximum displacement of the rails were compared and evaluated.

[0073] When subjected to horizontal loads, both the double rail and triple rail showed a stress reduction of about 22% and a displacement reduction of about 32%. When subjected to vertical loads, the rails showed similar behavior.

[0074] Table 5 shows the dimensional values ​​of the different models of Vigneault rails compared to the dimensions of the double web rail and triple web rail embodiments.

[0075] [Table 5] [Brief description of the drawings]

[0076] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a triple web profile for a railway rail according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a part of the rail in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional front view of a triple web rail. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional front view of a triple web rail. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a profile according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the rail of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the rail of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] Simulation results of maximum stress vertical loads on a TR68 rail (A), a double web rail (B), and a triple web rail (C) are shown. [Figure 9] Simulation results of vertical load with maximum displacement for TR68 rail (A), double web rail (B) and triple web rail (C) are shown. [Figure 10] The stress distribution in the cross section of a TR68 rail, a double web rail, and a triple web rail at the load application point is shown. [Figure 11] The distribution of stress caused by normal load in the cross sections of TR68 rail, double web rail and triple web rail at the load application point is shown. [Figure 12] Isometric views of simulated horizontal load results with maximum stress on a TR68 rail (A), a double web rail (B), and a triple web rail (C). [Figure 13] The distribution of stress caused by horizontal load in the cross sections of TR68 rail, double web rail, and triple web rail at the load application point is shown. [Figure 14] Figure 1 shows isometric views of simulation results of horizontal load with maximum displacement for a TR68 rail (A), a double web rail (B), and a triple web rail (C). [Figure 15]The distribution of displacement caused by horizontal loads in the cross sections of TR68 rail, double web rail, and triple web rail at the load application point is shown. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of simulated horizontal load results with maximum stress (A) and maximum displacement (B) on a triple web rail with a hole in the web. [Figure 17] The cross section of a triple web rail with a hole in the web shows the distribution of stress (A) and displacement (B) caused by a horizontal load. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an isometric view of simulated normal load results with maximum stress (A) and maximum displacement (B) on a triple web rail with a hole in the web. [Figure 19] The cross section of a triple web rail with a hole in the web shows the distribution of stress (A) and displacement (B) caused by a normal load.

Claims

1. A railway rail profile comprising a foot (11), a web (12) and a head (13), The profile (10) providing a web (12), preferably formed by at least three walls (12A), said web having two outer walls (12a) parallel to each other in order to maintain a spacing (x) for the placement of a central wall (12b) forming a triple web (12); the lower ends of the walls (12A) of the triple web (12) have side branches (11a) directed in opposite directions to each other, forming the legs (11); An improvement in a railway rail profile, characterized in that, on the one hand, the upper ends of a number of said walls (12a) are joined together in single sectors constituting a head portion (13).

2. 2. The improvement in a railway rail profile according to claim 1, characterized in that said interval (x) receives at least one central wall (12b) projecting from the underside of said head (13), the free end (12c) being flush with the lower base of said side branch (11a).

3. The improvement in a railway rail profile according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the walls (12a) and (12b) receive holes or cutouts (14) of various geometric shapes aligned with one another according to an intersecting axis (E1).

4. The improvement in a railway rail profile according to claim 3, characterized in that said cutouts (14) are of various sizes and various shapes, such as circular, oval, rectangular, etc., and are concentric and eccentric with respect to each other.

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