3-D wheel/rail contact modeling method and temperature analyses

According to the wheel/rail actual dimensions, the modeling process of a 3-D full-size wheel/rail sliding contact finite element model is introduced in detail. During modeling process, the partitioning strategy method and MPC method are adopted. The temperature characteristics of the contact region during sliding contact are researched. The research results show the contact patch shape is close to an ellipse. The stress in the contact area is very concentrated, and the maximum von Mises stress appears in the subsurface at a distance of 2 mm from the contact interface. During the sliding contact, the maximum temperature appears at the contact center. The temperature on wheel contact surface ascends continuously and is significantly greater than the rail surface temperature. High temperatures of contact region are mainly distributed in the contact surface and subsurface, and the influence depth of temperature does not exceed 3 mm.