Thermal Finite Element Analysis of Railroad Bearings

Catastrophic bearing failure is a major concern for the railroad industry because it can lead to costly train stoppages. Excessive heat buildup within the bearing is one of the main factors that can warn of impending failure. The work presented in this book is motivated by the need to understand the heat transfer paths to the bearing when wheel heating occurs. A series of experiments and finite element analyses were conducted in order to quantify the different heat transfer mechanisms, with an emphasis on radiation.