Study on the Effect of Frequency-Modulated Rail Damper on Rail Vibration

To delay the formation and development of local periodic fluctuations on the surface of rail structures and improve the durability of rail facilities, the dynamic response and wheel-rail interaction of rail structures were studied in depth based on frequency-modulated rail dampers (TRDs). A fully-coupled 3-D FE framework of the wheel–rail assembly, integrating frequency-modulated rail dampers (TRDs), was developed to quantify vibration energy dissipation. Simulated decay curves revealed a marked rise (> 50 %) in lateral damping efficiency within 600–1 000 Hz, confirming TRD’s targeted suppression of rail transverse motion. Then, the suppression effect of rail corrugation after TRD installation was tested, and the data collection was carried out in the test section to calculate the frequency of rail corrugation. It was found that the possibility of corrugation deterioration of the rail structure was greatly reduced after the installation of the rail damper, and the suppression effect of the frequency modulation rail damper on the rail vibration was analyzed, which provided a reliable empirical reference for the evaluation of the effect of TRD damper.