Thermal capacity of tread-braked railway wheels. Part 2: Applications

Tread braking is a common friction-based braking system that finds use on metro and suburban trains. Here the wheels are safety-related components and there is a need to develop design specifications and guidelines to ensure that the wheels perform properly under the service conditions to which they are exposed. In the present paper, examples of applications are given that employ a modelling framework that was developed in a companion paper. The examples represent typical conditions in metro and suburban operations, in particular during sequential stop braking. Also results for drag braking, mechanical loading, residual stresses and wheel–axle interference fit are given. Parametric studies are performed to demonstrate the influence of load levels and other factors on the fatigue life of the wheels. The results should be useful for establishing design rules that consider the thermal capacity of tread-braked railway wheels.