CURVE SQUEAL OF TRAIN WHEELS, PART 3: ACTIVE CONTROL

This paper presents a new method to annul the squeal noise that is produced by trains traversing a curve. The method is a special form of active control, applied to suppress the bending oscillations of a squealing wheel. It is essentially a feedback system with the following components: sensor, narrowband filter, phase-shifter, amplifier and actuator. The control signal driving the actuator has only a single frequency (set at the filter), and that frequency typically corresponds to one of the bending modes of the wheel. Two versions of the feedback system are considered. In the first version, the actuator exerts a control force on the wheel, and in the second version, the actuator imposes a velocity on the rail. A mathematical model is presented and predictions are made for the performance of both versions. The coupling of the different wheel modes by the control system is discussed. A model rig is described which was used for a practical demonstration of this form of active control. Differences from more conventional forms of active control are pointed out.