Finite Element Analysis of Thermoelastic Instability With Intermittent Contact

The equations that describe the development of corrugations on block braked wheel treads caused by thermoelastic instability are discretized using the finite element method. The perturbations of temperatures and distortions are described by an amplitude function, which is spatially fixed multiplied by a sinusoidal running wave term of fixed wavelength. The governing equations are such that the wave term cancels out. Only the amplitude functions are discretized in the finite element model. The intermittent nature of the contact is directly specified through the boundary conditions. Results are obtained for a simplified two-dimensional model of a train wheel. These results agree with analytical results. [S0742-4787(00)00701-3]