Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermomechanical fatigue fracture due to repeated braking of railway wheels

  • Published:
Materials Science Aims and scope

Abstract

We study the problem of braking of heavily loaded railway wheels and their thermomechanical fracture. The wheels have the form of thick disks weakened by small surface cracks. They are periodically braked with friction in a random sequence of time intervals. The stresses formed in the course of braking and subsequent cooling attain the plasticity limit of the rail-wheel steel in tension and compression. It is shown that, for locally heated and cooled disks, the cycles of thermomechanical loading and unloading are responsible for the growth of fatigue cracks. The corresponding fatigue curves are computed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. V. Gupta, G. T. Hahn, P. C. Bastias, and C. A. Rubin, “Calculations of the frictional heating of a locomotive wheel attending rolling plus sliding,” Wear, 191, 237–241 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. T. L. Andersen, Fracture Mechanics—Fundamentals and Applications, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  3. S. T. Rolfe and J. M. Barsoum, Fracture and Fatigue Control in Structures–Applications of Fracture Mechanics, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  4. H. Tada, P. C. Paris, and G. R. Irwin, The Stress Analysis of Cracks Handbook, Del Research Corporation, St. Louis, MO (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  5. E. E. Gdoutos, C. A. Rodopoulos, and J. R. Yates, Problems of Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue–A Solution Guide, Kluwer, Dordrecht (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  6. I. S. Raju and J. C. Newman, “Stress intensity factors for a wide range of semielliptical surface cracks in infinite thickness plates,” J. Bng. Fract. Mech., 11, 817–829 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. J. C. Newman and I. S. Raju, “An empirical stress intensity factor equation for the surface crack, ” J. Bng. Fract. Mech., 15, 185–192 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria

    H. P. Rossmanith

  2. Institute of Mechanics and Mechatronics, Vienna, Austria

    F. Loibnegger & R. Huber

  3. Institute of Testing and Research of Materials, Vienna, Austria

    F. Loibnegger & R. Huber

Authors
  1. H. P. Rossmanith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. Loibnegger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Huber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Published in Fizyko-Khimichna Mekhanika Materialiv, Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 40–48, July–August, 2006.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rossmanith, H.P., Loibnegger, F. & Huber, R. Thermomechanical fatigue fracture due to repeated braking of railway wheels. Mater Sci 42, 466–475 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-006-0102-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11003-006-0102-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation