An accurate wheel-rail contact theoretical model is crucial for predicting wheel-rail wear and rolling contact fatigue. The plastic damage occurs frequently in the high-speed wheel-rail contact area at present; however, the state-of-the-art wheel-rail rolling contact theoretical models hardly take into account plastic behaviour. In this study, a three-dimensional elastic-plastic theoretical analysis model of wheel-rail rolling contact was established, based on the Vermeulen-Johnson (V-J) rolling contact theory and the bilinear hardening model. The stress distribution of the elastic-plastic wheel-rail contact area was expounded, the analytical formula of elastic-plastic creep force/creepage was derived, and the mapping relationship of wheel-rail elastic-plastic creep force/creepage was constructed. Besides, the strain rate effect of wheel/rail materials on the elastic-plastic creep force/creepage curve was also investigated. Finally, the proposed elastic-plastic theoretical model was verified by the corresponding experimental and finite element simulation results. The results indicate that the plastic deformation in the wheel-rail contact area leads to a decrease in the initial slope of the creep force/creepage curve, but an increase in the saturation creepage. The strain rate effect increases the initial slope of the elastic-plastic creep force/creepage curve. The proposed theoretical model is of great significance to the damage assessment of high-speed wheel-rail systems.

准确的轮轨接触理论模型对于预测轮轨磨损和滚动接触疲劳至关重要。目前高速轮轨接触区塑性损伤多发；然而，最先进的轮轨滚动接触理论模型几乎没有考虑塑性行为。本研究基于Vermeulen-Johnson (VJ) 滚动接触理论和双线性硬化模型，建立了轮轨滚动接触的三维弹塑性理论分析模型。阐述了弹塑性轮轨接触区域的应力分布，推导了弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变的解析公式，构建了轮轨弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变的映射关系。除了，还研究了轮/轨材料的应变率对弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变曲线的影响。最后，通过相应的实验和有限元仿真结果验证了所提出的弹塑性理论模型。结果表明，轮轨接触区的塑性变形导致蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率减小，但饱和蠕变增大。应变率效应增加了弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率。所提出的理论模型对高速轮轨系统的损伤评估具有重要意义。通过相应的实验和有限元仿真结果验证了所提出的弹塑性理论模型。结果表明，轮轨接触区的塑性变形导致蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率减小，但饱和蠕变增大。应变率效应增加了弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率。所提出的理论模型对高速轮轨系统的损伤评估具有重要意义。通过相应的实验和有限元仿真结果验证了所提出的弹塑性理论模型。结果表明，轮轨接触区的塑性变形导致蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率减小，但饱和蠕变增大。应变率效应增加了弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率。所提出的理论模型对高速轮轨系统的损伤评估具有重要意义。应变率效应增加了弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率。所提出的理论模型对高速轮轨系统的损伤评估具有重要意义。应变率效应增加了弹塑性蠕变力/蠕变曲线的初始斜率。所提出的理论模型对高速轮轨系统的损伤评估具有重要意义。