TITLE:
Comparison of Wheel/Rail Friction Temperature under Traction and Braking Condition
AUTHORS:
Zewang Yuan
KEYWORDS:
Wheel/Rail Contact, Friction Heat, Traction, Braking, Moving Heat Source
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.15 No.12,
December
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to compare the differences in wheel/rail friction temperature under traction and braking, for further analysis of the distinction of adhesion performance under traction and braking. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model was developed, and the wheel/rail temperatures under different slippages and speeds were calculated. The results show that the wheel under braking gets the highest temperature, followed by the rail, and the wheel under traction gets the lowest temperature. When the slippage is less than 20%, the differences of the peak temperatures of the wheel under baking and traction are within 101.68˚C. After exceeding 20%, the difference increases sharply. The difference is not sensitive to the vehicle speed, which keeps about 100˚C when the speed is over 50 km/h. With the increasing slippage, the temperature differences between the leading and trailing edge under traction are decreasing, while those under braking are increasing. Under the extreme condition of the wheel sliding, the wheel temperature is concentrated on the contact patch. The proposed FE model gives a method to simulate wheel/rail contact temperature under various conditions. There is a big difference in the temperature under traction and braking, which helps to understand the distinction of the adhesion performance under traction and braking.