Abstract:  In order to provide a reference for designing model tests and analyze the results of the model tests, the similarity relationship of fretting amplitudes of the interference fitting surfaces between the prototype wheel-set and its geometrically similar scaled-model one was deduced based on the dimensional analysis theory. The material of the prototype wheelset was the same as that of the scaled-model one. The results show that when the size of the model wheelset, the interference value and the axle load are 1/n, 1/n and 1/n2 of those of the prototype one respectively, the fretting amplitudes of the interference fitting surfaces of the model wheelset is 1/n of that of the prototype one. Finally, the fretting amplitudes of scaling 1∶2, 1∶5, and 1∶10 model wheelsets were compared with those of the prototype one from ANSYS analyses, respectively, which verifies the correctness of the similarity relationship.

Key words: railway wheelset, model, fretting amplitude, dimension analysis, finite element method