Construction of elastic wheels on light rail vehicles

Abstract

In the case of urban rail transport, light vehicles can be an effective solution due to the advantages offered by the elastic wheels. One of the great advantages of these rolling elements is given by the reduction of unsuspended masses of the vehicle which have the effect of reducing the vehicle-rolling interaction forces. However, there are no other advantages to be missed, such as noise reduction (very important for urban vehicles) and improved walking quality. This paper aims at presenting the construction and design elements of the elastic wheels. It is hoped to improve the quality of the urban transport vehicles in Romania. At the same time, dynamic effects will be analysed and presented on the wheel - rail contact, in the case of vehicles equipped with elastic wheels.