DETERMINATION OF TEMPERATURES FOR SLIDING CONTACT WITH APPLICATIONS FOR WHEEL RAIL SYSTEMS

Contact temperatures and temperature fields of components in relative sliding motion can be analyzed by Laplace transforms and the method of Green's functions. For the case of constant and ellipsoidal pressure distribution the temperatures obtained agree with the results of earli er work. The solution technique can also be used to solve arbitrary pr essure distributions, which, coupled with the general normal contact p roblem, leads to extended solutions. The case of loadings with fluctua tions due to surface roughness and indents are investigated. It can be shown that each kind of fluctuation causes a rise of the maximum cont act temperature. All applications are for wheel-rail systems. The resu lts are discussed.