Analysis of thermal-elastic stress of wheel-rail in rolling-sliding contact

A coupling thermo-mechanical model of wheel/rail in rolling-sliding contact is put forward using finite element method. The normal contact pressure is idealized as the Hertzian distribution, and the tangential force presented by Carter is used. In order to obtain thermal-elastic stress, the thermal-elastic plane stress problem is transformed to an elastic plane stress problem with equivalent fictitious thermal body force and fictitious boundary distributed force. The temperature rise and thermal-elastic stress of wheel and rail in rolling-sliding are analyzed. The non-steady state heat transfer between the contact surfaces of wheel and rail, heat-convection and radiation between the wheel/rail and the ambient are taken into consideration. The influences of the wheel rolling speed and wear rate on friction temperature and thermal-elastic stress are investigated. The results show the following: (1) For rolling-sliding case, the thermal stress in the thin layer near the contact patch due to the friction temperature rise is severe. The higher rolling speed leads to the lower friction temperature rise and thermal stress in the wheel; (2) For sliding case, the friction temperature and thermal stress of the wheel rise quickly in the initial sliding stage, and then get into a steady state gradually. The expansion of the contact patch, due to material wear, can affect the friction temperature rise and the thermal stress during wear process. The higher wear rate generates lower stress. The results can help understand the influence of friction temperature and thermal-elastic stress on wheel and rail damage.