A case study of railway curve squeal radiated from both the outer and inner wheel
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2025

This case study is presented after observations were made that partially contrast the prevailing picture of railway curve squeal given in the literature. These are observations with significance both for modelling and condition monitoring. The current case study will be followed by a subsequent investigation focused on the validation and application of a simulation model to investigate root-causes for curve squeal at the Stockholm metro. Curve squeal in a 213 m radius curve on the Stockholm metro is studied. Data includes track characteristics (rail profile, rail roughness and gauge width) and noise measured at the trackside as well as by two vehicles equipped with an on-board mounted noise monitoring system. The current case study contrasts field measurements of curve squeal reported in the literature by a relative shift of emitted noise towards higher frequencies. Wayside noise measurements in the studied curve during a few hours showed squeal generation for all vehicle passages with dominating 1/3 octave band centre frequencies in the range between 6.3–15.8  kHz. Noise data measured during one year of regular traffic of two vehicles equipped with a monitoring system were obtained. The occurrence of curve squeal was analysed through an implementation of the curve squeal detection algorithm in operation at the Stockholm metro. This algorithm was also applied to search for events of squeal noise radiation from the outer wheel. Results show emissions of squeal noise from the inner and outer wheel for 65 % and 8 % of the vehicle passages through the studied curve, respectively. Further, the occurrence of curve squeal radiated from the inner wheel was found to increase by 10 % after rail grinding. In the literature, squeal radiated from the outer wheel is described as having an intermittent character with magnified spectral components in the frequency range between 5–10  kHz. In contrast, the current work presents sustained tonal squeal generated from the outer wheel with similar noise characteristics as typically related to ordinary curve squeal.

Rail roughnes

Noise monitoring

Flange squeal

Rail grinding

Rail profiles

Curve squeal

Författare

Peter Torstensson

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Geologi och geoteknik

Astrid Pieringer

Chalmers, Arkitektur och samhällsbyggnadsteknik, Teknisk akustik

Martin Höjer

Tyréns, Göteborg

Rickard Nilsson

Stockholms lokaltrafik (SL)

Victor Simonsson

Alps Alpine Europe

Applied Acoustics

0003-682X (ISSN) 1872910x (eISSN)

Vol. 228 110327

Kurvskrik - inverkan från anläggningens fysiska utformning och underhållsstatus

Trafikverket (TRV2020/49829Ä-ID7555), 2021-10-08 -- 2024-03-01.

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Styrkeområden

Transport

Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)

Transportteknik och logistik

Fysik

Teknisk mekanik

DOI

10.1016/j.apacoust.2024.110327

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2025-04-02