Numerical analysis of a wheelset brake disc

The braking system is one of the crucial components in railway transport safety; it's a process that converts the kinetic energy of a moving railway vehicle into thermal energy dissipated in the form of heat. This system can be a group of mechanical, electronic and hydraulic parts that assure the stop of a rotating disc by using the friction of the pads on it. The prediction of disc temperature is crucial to estimate the thermal stress which affects the defect growth in friction surfaces. The objective of this article is to study the thermomechanical behavior of a railway brake disc, by using a finite element model. The results can be explored to improve future design and analyze failure modes in the railway brake system.