Analysis of reliability of a prefabricated conductive rail joint in context of heavy traffic

Abstract

In this paper, the calculation of reliability indicators has been carried out in the article for two configurations of a prefabricated conductive rail joint: with fish plates, a welded and bypass connector, and a spring rail bond. The sections of the track where the probability of failure of the prefabricated conductive rail joint is increasing are identified. The destabilizing factors influencing the onset of failure of a prefabricated conductive rail joint earlier than the calculated values of the durability indicators are considered. A model for evaluating the reliability of the second configuration of a prefabricated conductive rail joint based on the Markov analytical model has been developed, and such reliability indicators have been calculated as the probability of its being in working condition, as well as the probability of failure of the prefabricated conductive rail joint due to the inoperability of the fish plates and the spring rail bond. The features of the configuration of a prefabricated conductive rail joint with a spring rail bond are taken into account, which consist in the fact that in order to eliminate the failure due to the inoperability of the spring rail bond, it is necessary to remove the fish plates.