Evaluation of Residual Stress of railway wheel

철도차량 차륜의 잔류응력 평가

Railway wheel and axle are the most critical components in railway system. A wheel and axle failure can cause a derailment with its attendant loss of life and property. The service conditions of railway vehicles have become severe in recent years due to a general increase in operating speeds. Therefore, more precise evaluation of wheelset strength and safety has been desired. Damages of railway wheel are a spatting by wheel/rail contact and thermal crack by braking heat etc. One of the main source of damage is a residual stress. therefore it is important to evaluate exactly. A Residual stress of wheel is formed at the process of heat treatment when manufacturing. it is changed by contact stress developed by wheel/rail contact and thermal stress from heat induced in braking. The objective of this paper is to estimate the variation and magnitude of the residual stress of railway wheel.