Thermal FEM analysis of passenger railway car brake discs

Brake thermal analyses were used to assess structural design and life of railway car brake discs. The brake disc temperature was analyzed numerically for a 160 km·h~-1 passenger car. The analyses considered the effects of brake loading modes, braking methods and ambient temperatures on the transient brake disc temperatures. A cyclic symmetric finite element (FEM) model was used to simulate the disc temperature increases due to the heat generated by friction between the brake pad and the brake disc which was modelled as a transient moving surface heat source. The 3-D transient disc temperatures, as well as the disc surface thermal history, were analyzed using the MSC. Marc software. The results indicate that the temperature distribution inhomogeneity in the contact area between the brake pad and the brake disc may adversely affect the brake pad friction performance with the even loading mode and that the hybrid-brake mode may induce a sharp transient thermal shock. The results also show translational variations of the transient temperature gradient and thermal history in the brake disc depending on the ambient temperature.