Introducing an Open-Source Simulation Model for Track Rollers Considering Friction

Locating bearing track rollers are used, for example, in monorail transport systems to enable relative movement between the rail and the shuttle. Due to the two-point contact, both radial and axial forces can be transmitted simultaneously. Since friction is involved, the state of the art does not provide any calculation rules for the dimensioning and design. The development of a calculation model with sophisticated commercial software brings its difficulties since no plausibility check is possible using existing models. For this reason, a model based on analytical descriptions including the Hertzian and the elastic half space theories is presented in this paper. It bridges the gap between very simple approaches and widely developed commercial software. With this model, the contact forces, friction forces, surface tensions, relative velocities and subsurface stresses can be calculated for both free and driven rolling. The main advantages are that the model is easy to apply, and thus comparisons between different track roller designs can be made quickly.