Numerical and experimental analysis of the heat transfer process in a railway disc brake tested on a dynamometer stand

The effectiveness of railway brakes is highly dependent on the thermal condition of the brake disc and friction linings. An effective research method for the heat transfer process in brakes was computer simulation and experimental tests on a full-size dynamometric test bench. A two-dimensional, axially symmetric numerical model of transient thermal conductivity in a railway brake was presented. Appropriate boundary conditions of the problem were applied, describing the heat generated in the brake and discharged to the environment. The problem was solved using the finite-element method. This article presents exemplary results of the brake temperature calculations obtained using the numerical model and the results of experimental tests carried out on two types of brake discs.