The adhesion in the wheel-rail contact can be effectively controlled by using the friction modifier. Adhesion control can reduce excessive wear of the contact bodies or noise. The essence of this diploma thesis is to determine the optimal amount of friction modifier in wheel-rail contact depending on the climatic and operating conditions. For experimental study of the behavior of the friction modifier, the twin-disc device is used. Twin-disc simulates and controls the most important operating parameters such as speed, slip, attack angle or contact pressure. On the basis of these findings, the off-board top-of-rail lubricator system was designed. This system controls the amount of friction modifier according to current climatic and operating conditions.

Předložená disertační práce se zabývá experimentálním studiem modifikátorů tření a maziv pro temeno kolejnice, které jsou aplikovány do kontaktu kola a kolejnice za účelem optimalizace adheze a redukce hluku. Hlavním cílem práce bylo objasnit vliv aplikovaného množství a složení těchto látek na adhezi v kontaktu. Hlavní pozornost byla věnována zejména potencionálním hrozbám souvisejících s kriticky nízkou adhezí, která může nastat po aplikaci těchto látek. Experimentální studium probíhalo v laboratorních i reálných podmínkách, konkrétně v tramvajovém provozu. V případě laboratorních experimentů byl využit komerční tribometr a dvoudiskové zařízení umožňující simulovat průjezd vozidla traťovým obloukem. Kromě samotné adheze bylo při experimentech sledováno také opotřebení a míra hluku. Výsledky ukázaly, že maziva pro temeno kolejnice jsou schopna poskytovat požadované třecí vlastnosti, nicméně jejich chování je silně závislé na aplikovaném množství. V případě předávkování kontaktu dochází ke kriticky nízkým hodnotám adheze, které vedou k výraznému prodloužení brzdné dráhy. V případě modifikátorů tření bylo ukázáno, že chování těchto látek je výrazně ovlivněno odpařováním základního média. Výsledky také ukázaly, že nadměrné množství částic pro modifikaci tření může způsobit kriticky nízké hodnoty adheze. U obou výše zmíněných typů produktů byl prokázán pozitivní vliv na míru opotřebení a míru poškození povrchu, zatímco významná redukce hluku byla dosažena pouze v případech, kdy došlo ke značnému poklesu adheze. V závěru této práce jsou uvedena doporučení pro další výzkumné aktivity v této oblasti.

Presented master’s thesis is focused on the experimental research of influence of climate conditions on wheel-rail adhesion, where climate conditions are meant two parameters: ambient air temperature and air humidity. These parameters always affect wheel-raid contact and their values change significantly during the year. For presented experimental research was used tribometer Mini Traction Machine (MTM) in configuration „ball on disc“. For determination of influence climate conditions was first found out the influence of air humidity on adhesion at certain temperatures, which varied between (1 to 50) °C. These experiments were performed for two types of discs, where one disc was exposed to leaf extract contamination. After that was assembled influence of both parameters (air humidity and ambient air temperature) on adhesion in the form of a 3D map, where were distinctioned states, when condensation has occured and when didn‘t. Obtained results in this thesis will be used for optimalization of rail vehicle control systems.

The aim of this work is to assess the possibilities of using numerical simulation tools in the process of laser welding of the guide rail of a car seat. In the diploma thesis, a description of the components and the problem, which consists in the deformation of the groove of the guide rail, was made. A description was made of the manufacturing operations that the components go through. The positives of selected welding methods were evaluated and the choice of those used in production was justified. A description of the issues of laser welding, deformation and the use of simulation tools was made. The influence of individual production operations was evaluated in terms of the size and nature of deformations. Using the Visual – Mesh, Visual – Weld and Visual – Assembly simulation tools, which are products of the French company ESI Group, the same state of the simulated and real process was achieved. Subsequently, a proposal for the elimination of deformations and its verification using a simulation tool could be approached. The use of a spacer wedge, which acts on the most deformed places of the groove, was proposed. By its application, the resulting deformations were eliminated or significantly reduced. In the last part of the work, a technical and economic evaluation was made, taking into account the current global crisis and the important role of the automotive industry.

Friction modification within the wheel-rail interface is an important way of achieving ecologically friendly transportation of both persons and goods. This thesis aims to develop a new TOR lubricant, which will be able to maintain suitable frictional conditions while securing minimal adhesion required for traction. All measurements were carried out on tribometer MTM in the ball-on-disc configuration. In the first step, individual components were examined. More complex compositions were measured after that and the three best of them were compared with commercial TOR lubricants. The results show a good ability of developed compositions to maintain required adhesion, reduce wear, and all of them had resistivity against over-lubrication. Lastly, the process of lubricant verification before its application in real traffic was discussed.

The aim of this diploma thesis is making a degradation analysis of guide track for car body elevator and creating a new design of storage drive according to acquired knowledge. In the first part of this thesis is written research dealing with the issue of lifting equipment. Afrer this part follows load calculation with consideration of dynamic effects. Based of this calculation are created four different variants of the new travel lift with the use of various types of rollers (metal and plastic) moving through different types of rails (elevator and square profil). For most appropriate selected variant are created two differend designs of the new travel lift. Design variants are described in detail and check by finite element method, giving rise to the final selection of variants. For the selected variant is produced complete drawings.

The diploma thesis deals with a rail wear in curves with a small radius (R < 500 m), in the national corridor railway, between stations Blansko and Svitavy. The diploma thesis deals with the impact of the track gradient, the horizontal layout of the track, traffic composition, and direction of travel on the size of the horizontal and vertical rail wear. Also, the influence of rail steel grade is discussed in the diploma thesis.

During life of railway vehicles, shape irregularities develop on wheels and rails because of wear. The shape irregularities then affect forces in wheel-rail contact and cause further damage of contact surfaces, vibrations and noise and increase risk of derailment. A numerical simulation of railway vehicle motion with more details on contact surfaces geometry was created to investigate dynamic contact loads in wheel-rail contact. A variety of methods can be used to evaluate forces in rolling contact, the method chosen for this study was algorithm CONTACT based on boundary element method. Four studies are presented in this papers: contact loads from a wheel with a flat and with a wavy tread pattern, loads on wavy rail and load in a curve. The first three studies investigated effects of existing wear patterns, the last one looked for cause of common wear pattern developing on rails. Results of the studies with worn components used showed that the worst kind of shape irregularities is a flat present on wheel. This type of shape cause loss of contact and following impacts. The study of ride in curve showed that cause of high wear in curves, especially those with small radii, is caused by vibration of wheelset. This vibration is then caused by different length of inner and outer rail and wheels travelling along a different path.

Friction modifiers are a new effective way to control adhesion in wheel and rail contact. The aim of this diploma thesis is experimental study of the influence of the constituents of water based friction modifier on adhesion. Measurement of the adhesion behavior for different friction modifier compositions is carried out on a ball–on–disc laboratory device creating point contact. The introductory part of the experiments describes the effect of individual components on adhesion. Subsequently, combinations of different friction modifier compositions are tested. In conclusion, selected compositions are used for wear tests. The results obtained show that the performance of friction modifiers is greatly influenced by evaporation of base medium.

The submitted master’s thesis describes the development of a tribometer used to measure the adhesion of a real rail. The thesis contains an overview of the basic terms concerning wheel and rail contact. Following that, there is an overview of devicesthat are able to measure the adhesion on a real track. The author's solution includes a design of the tribometer, the proposed measurement methodology and also a description of the individual components. The result of this thesis is a functional device, verified in laboratory conditions and on a real track.