Heat transfer and thermal stress analysis according to wheel web shapes considering tread braking

High-speed railway involves increased degree of fatigue and wear damage caused by repeated rolling contact between the wheel and the rail. In particular, during tread braking, the wheel is subjected to not only mechanical, but also thermal loads owing to the frictional heat, and it acts as the main cause of damage. The structure of the wheel is divided into hub, rim, and web. Depending on the shape of the wheel, the heat transfer rate and contact with the rail are different, which affects the train performance. In this study, heat transfer and thermal stress analysis were conducted for the situation where braking is started at 80 km/h and 120 km/h using four wheel models. The temperature change in the wheel during braking was confirmed through the heat transfer analysis, and the stress and temperature changes were calculated through the thermal stress analysis. The difference in the results owing to difference in the shape was confirmed.