Numerical Investigation of the Critical Areas of the Freight Train Wheel Web

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the impact of braking with brake blocks on the fatigue lifetime of the train wheel web. Braking generates heat, causing uneven thermal stress and residual stresses as it cools. This can lead to the initiation of fatigue cracks in the wheel web. Therefore, the main issue is the numerical modelling of the railway wheel loaded by mechanical and thermal loads. A complex fatigue investigation is proposed to validate the numerical models and determine critical areas of the wheel web where fatigue cracks can initiate.