Estimation of Residual Stress Distribution in Railroad Wheels

Abstract

Residual stresses in railroad wheel rims significantly affect the wheel failure life; therefore, it is important to consider residual stresses for wheel failure analysis. In this paper, an advanced computational methodology is developed to estimate residual stresses developed during both the manufacturing process and under service conditions. To estimate the residual stresses in the wheel, three-dimensional decoupled thermal-structural analyses are performed. To simulate the manufacturing process, thermal analysis is performed with convection boundary conditions on the wheel surfaces. The temperature distributions obtained from this thermal analysis are input as loads for structural analysis. The results represent as-manufactured residual stresses. To simulate the thermal brake loading under service conditions, thermal analysis is performed using a heat flux boundary condition on the tread surface. Structural analysis is performed, including the estimated as-manufactured residual stress as initial stress, and using the temperature distributions obtained from thermal analysis of the on-tread braking. The resultant stresses represent the complex combination of residual stresses developed during both the manufacturing process and on-tread braking. The computed results are compared with the experimental data obtained at TTCI and the values reported in the literature.

Modelling shattered rim cracking in railroad wheels

“…The residual stresses developed during both the manufacturing process and the on-tread braking under service conditions are calculated using decoupled thermal-structural finite element analyses [14].…”

“…According to AAR standards, specification S-660, the thermal brake loading needs to be considered by applying the thermal load uniformly on the tread surface area spanning over a distance of 85.725 mm axisymmetrically, centred along the line located at 87.3125 mm from the back face of the wheel rim. For additional details regarding the thermal brake load application, the reader is referred to our ASME JRC conference paper [14]. The on-tread brake loading under service conditions is simulated using decoupled thermal-structural finite element analyses, which include non-linear transient thermal analysis and non-linear elastic-plastic structural analysis.…”

“…The computed residual stresses are within the experimental data range. Additional details regarding the validation of estimated residual stresses are given in author's ASME JRC conference paper [14].…”