Calcul de propagation des vibrations dans un rail libre

Abstract
A waveguide finite element theory is applied to the propagation pheneomena in rails. In the first part of the paper the waveguide finite element computation technique is briefly presented. The propagative wavenumbers and corresponding modes of a rail are computed as function of the exctation frequency. The results of finite element computation are compared with those obtained by the simple Euler-Bernoulli beam theory for the flexion. The sound radiation and the distribution of the energy transmitted through the cross-section by the computed propagative modes are analysed. The present analysis gives the valuable informations on the participation of different propagative modes to vibro-acustical response of rails.