Finite Element Modelling of Wheel and Rail in Rolling Contact

The evaluation of the contact patch as well as the distribution of stress and strain in rolling contact requires a geometrically and materially nonlinear approach. The paper gives an overview over the theoretical background of the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation of the dynamics of rolling bodies. Contact formulations for dynamic contact conditions are developed using a velocity oriented approach. The transcription into the Finite Element Method, temporarily limited to an elastic material law, is given. Numerical examples for three dimensional simulations demonstrate the applicability of the developed program package.