Three-dimensional finite element analysis

of residual stresses in railway wheels

INTRODUCTION

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Manufacturing process such as casting or forging used in forming

railway wheels induce a wide variety of residual stresses.

The heat treatment process cools the rim of the wheel much faster than the plate
of the wheel. The rim-quenched wheels induces desirable residual compressive
stresses in the upper rim, and improve the wear resistance which help prevent the
formation of fatigue cracks at the tread surface of rim.

Wheels are heat treated (Quenched or Annealed) which induces

circumferential compressive residual stress in the upper rim thus
increasing its surface hardness.

According to Fig 2. the effects of water spray on the wheel rim cooling is visible. At
the end of the quench, the minimum temperature in the wheel rim is 326 oC and
the maximum is 802 oC , reduced little from the initial temperature of 869 oC.

Under service conditions, thermal brakes induces higher tensile

residual stress which results in the formation of rim fatigue cracks.

Fig 3. illustrates contour plots of the Von Mises stresses on wheel tread. For rail
wheel, the magnitude of von Mises stress appears to be 553 MPa after heattreatment. The magnitude of this stress is higher than the yield strength of the
steel , which leads to plastic deformation. Thus, this analysis shows that the
fatigue cracks initiate at a depth 45 mm below the tread surface for railway wheel.

The stress analysis in railway rim wheel is done using threedimensional elasticplastic finite element method
Fig 1. shows finite element model used in residual stress analysis.

Fig 1. Finite element modeling of wheel.

FINITE ELEMENT MODELLING

Simulation for residual stress is done in two parts:
non-linear thermal analysis

- determines the temperature distribution of the wheel

non-linear static structural analysis

- distribution of stress over the wheel rim
Thermal analysis consist of four phases
high temperature step with water spray on the tread surface of rim
(about 3 min)
put in room temperature (about 6 min)
elevated temperature draw (about 6 h)
cooling in room temperature (about 7 h).

Fig 2. Contour plots of the temperature distribution (in C)

due to the heat treatment process: (a) first phase,
(b) second phase, (c) third phase, and (d) forth phase.

Fig 3. Contour plots of the von Mises stress due to the heat
treatment process of railway wheel analysis: (a) first phase,
(b) second phase, (c) third phase and (d) forth phase.