Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering Transport Technology
M.M. Valster Transportwerktuigen op de rails.
Literature survey, Report 99.3.TT.5249, Transport Engineering and Logistics.
Transportation equipment is made for the transportation and handling of goods. The equipment is designed to perform this as quick and efficient as possible. One of the ways to transport the goods, is using wheels on rails. In the beginning, when designing the equipment, it is very important that there is a lot of attention for the kind of rail and wheels to be used. The wheels and the rail are just a small part of the project, but the quality of the railway is very important for the reliability and functioning of the equipment supported by the rails. When there is a problem, a lot of money and time is needed to fix it. During repair it is not possible to work, so it is very important that the wheels and rail are determined properly.
This essay is written to present an overview of transportation equipment which has a wheel rail configuration. The kinds of equipment discussed are the train, the overhead crane, the gantry crane and the trolley. The different ways of fixing the rail to the floor are described. The processes due to the interactions of the wheel and the rail, e.g. the stresses existing in the contact area between the wheel and rail, and the dynamic and steering behaviour of a wheelset are discussed also. Metal fatigue causes damage that will occur at the top of the rail and at the outline of the wheel. The horizontal forces due to e.g. acceleration and braking are also important to choose the proper rail. In the report the transmission of the wheel it described too.
Reports on Transport Engineering and Logistics (in Dutch)
