Assessment of measurement-based methods for separating wheel and track contributions to railway rolling noise

The noise produced during a train pass-by originates from several different sources such as propulsion noise, noise from auxiliary equipment, aerodynamic noise and rolling noise. The rolling noise is radiated by the wheels and the track and is excited by the wheel and rail unevenness, usually referred to as roughness. The current TSI Noise...

Separation of rolling noise and aerodynamic noise by in-service measurement of combined roughness and transfer functions on a high speed slab track

Combined sound and vibration measurements during train pass-bys can be used to quantify contributions from the excitation and transmission of rolling noise. This is useful for the identification of sound sources and the assessment of the track contribution. In this paper, a practical application on a high-speed track is discussed. Acoustic...

The IMAGINE source model for railway noise prediction

The IMAGINE railway traffic noise source model is described, which is a further elaboration and completion of the Harmonoise model. Within the EU project Harmonoise, a model was proposed including most of the main railway noise sources. In the IMAGINE project, complete formulation was put forward taking all relevant physical sources but also...

The Harmonoise/IMAGINE model for traction noise of powered railway vehicles

Traction noise is one of the noise sources of powered railway vehicles such as locomotives, electric- and diesel-powered multiple unit trains and high-speed trains. Especially at speeds below 60 km/h and at idling, but also at acceleration conditions for a wide range of speeds, traction noise can be dominant. This is relevant for noise in...

Experimental determination of pass-by noise contributions from the bogies and superstructure of a freight wagon

Pass-by noise from freight trains on straight tracks is dominated by rolling noise. The main contributions are generally accepted to originate from vibrations of the track and the wheels. However, there is uncertainty about the contributions from the bogie and the wagon superstructure. This article describes experimental methods to determine...

Theoretical optimization of track components to reduce rolling noise

The control of railway rolling noise requires a reduction in wheel and track noise emission. In this paper, a parametric study of the possible minimization of the track sound power is presented. In an initial global approach, a number of potential variations in track parameters are assessed in terms of their likely effect on rolling noise. From...

Roughness on Dutch railway wheels and rails

Surface roughness on 150 railway wheels and on the rails of 30 sites in the Netherlands have been measured. Block braked wheels were found to show higher roughnesses than the rail at any site. The smoothest rail is 8 dB smoother than the smoothest wheel. It was concluded that in reducing railway rolling noise NS must start to find ways to lower...

Experimental validation of the twins prediction program for rolling noise. Pt.2: Results

Two extensive measurement campaigns have been carried out to validate the TWINS prediction program for rolling noise, as described in part 1 of this paper. This second part presents the experimental results of vibration and noise during train pass-bys and compares them with predictions from the TWINS program. The model is found to give quite...

On the relationship between wheel and rail surface roughness and rolling noise

Theoretical models linking rolling noise and surface roughness have been available for some 20 years. For even longer, the qualitative link has been acknowledged between the presence of visible corrugation on rail or wheel surfaces and increased noise generation. This roughness, or undulation in the surface profile, has wavelengths of most...

Experimental validation of the twins prediction program for rolling noise. Pt.1: description of the model and method

The C163 Expert Committee of the European Rail Research Institute (ERRI) concerned with Railway Noise, has been developing theoretical models for the generation of wheel/rail rolling noise. These models have been brought together into a software package, called TWINS ("Track-Wheel Interaction Noise Software"). This is intended as a tool with...