Laboratory and Rig Tests of High-Strength and High Crack Resistance Wheel Tyres

Abstract

The paper presents development/comprehension tests outcomes of locomotive wheel tyre prototypes of grade ‘H’ medium alloy steel. These high-strength and high crack resistance tyres are intended for use with series 2EC10, 2EC7 and 2EC6 new generation freight electric locomotives with asynchronous traction drive. The work under discussion was carried out by the JSC VNIIZhT experts in cooperation with JSC “EVRAZ NTMK”. It covered the development of wheel tyre production specifications including those related to chemical content and mechanical properties of steel, appraisal of the tyre heat treatment conditions, manufacturing of tyre prototypes as well as laboratory and rig testing aimed to assess the tyre property package. Wheel tyre prototypes of grade “H” steel were subject to laboratory and rig tests at the JSC VNIIZhT experimental facilities inclusive of analysis of working layer mechanical properties and of hardness/microstructure distribution over the cross-section, assessment of cold resistance, determination of the tyre static fracture toughness (crack resistance) K1С and damping capacity (tenacity) Kfc, as well as analysis of the tyre stress state. Based on the positive results of the initial and acceptance tests of the grade ‘H’ steel tyres pilot run there was adopted the decision on the under-control operation of the tyres with the series 2EC10 electric locomotives on the Sverdlovskaya Railway network.

Keywords

• locomotive wheel tyre
• medium alloy steel
• mechanical properties
• hardness
• fracture toughness
• cold resistance
• stress state