Impact of Hysteresis Heating of Railroad Bearing Thermoplastic Elastomer Suspension Pad on Railroad Bearing Thermal Management

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar O. Rodriguez ◽  
Arturo A. Fuentes ◽  
Constantine Tarawneh
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Heat Generation ◽  
Internal Heat ◽  
Thermoplastic Elastomer ◽  
Internal Heat Generation ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Bearing Assembly ◽  
Railroad Bearing ◽  
Abnormal Operation

It is a known fact that polymers and all other materials develop hysteresis heating due to the viscoelastic response or internal friction. The hysteresis or phase lag occurs when cyclic loading is applied leading to the dissipation of mechanical energy. The hysteresis heating is induced by the internal heat generation of the material, which occurs at the molecular level as it is being disturbed cyclically. Understanding the hysteresis heating of the railroad bearing elastomer suspension element during operation is essential to predict its dynamic response and structural integrity, as well as to predict the thermal behavior of the railroad bearing assembly. The main purpose of this ongoing study is to investigate the effect of the internal heat generation in the thermoplastic elastomer suspension element on the thermal behavior of the railroad bearing assembly. This paper presents an experimentally validated finite element thermal model that can be used to obtain temperature distribution maps of complete bearing assemblies in service conditions. The commercial software package ALGOR 20.3™ is used to conduct the thermal finite element analysis. Different internal heating scenarios are simulated with the purpose of determining the bearing suspension element and bearing assembly temperature distributions during normal and abnormal operation conditions. Preliminary results show that a combination of the ambient temperature, bearing temperature, and frequency of loading can produce elastomer pad temperature increases above ambient of up to 125°C when no thermal runway is present. The higher temperature increase occurs at higher loading frequencies such as 50 Hz, thus, allowing the internal heat generation to significantly impact the temperature distribution of the suspension pad. This paper provides several thermal maps depicting normal and abnormal operation conditions and discusses the overall thermal management of the railroad bearing assembly.

Hysteresis Heating of Railroad Bearing Thermoplastic Elastomer Suspension Element

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar O. Rodriguez ◽  
Arturo A. Fuentes ◽  
Constantine Tarawneh ◽  
Robert E. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element Analysis ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Heat Generation ◽  
Internal Heat ◽  
Thermoplastic Elastomer ◽  
Internal Heat Generation ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Railroad Bearing

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE’s) are increasingly being used in rail service in load damping applications. They are superior to traditional elastomers primarily in their ease of fabrication. Like traditional elastomers they offer benefits including reduction in noise emissions and improved wear resistance in metal components that are in contact with such parts in the railcar suspension system. However, viscoelastic materials, such as the railroad bearing thermoplastic elastomer suspension element (or elastomeric pad), are known to develop self-heating (hysteresis) under cyclic loading, which can lead to undesirable consequences. Quantifying the hysteresis heating of the pad during operation is therefore essential to predict its dynamic response and structural integrity, as well as, to predict and understand the heat transfer paths from bearings into the truck assembly and other contacting components. This study investigates the internal heat generation in the suspension pad and its impact on the complete bearing assembly dynamics and thermal profile. Specifically, this paper presents an experimentally validated finite element thermal model of the elastomeric pad and its internal heat generation. The steady-state and transient-state temperature profiles produced by hysteresis heating of the elastomer pad are developed through a series of experiments and finite element analysis. The hysteresis heating is induced by the internal heat generation, which is a function of the loss modulus, strain, and frequency. Based on previous experimental studies, estimations of internally generated heat were obtained. The calculations show that the internal heat generation is impacted by temperature and frequency. At higher frequencies, the internally generated heat is significantly greater compared to lower frequencies, and at higher temperatures, the internally generated heat is significantly less compared to lower temperatures. However, during service operation, exposure of the suspension pad to higher loading frequencies above 10 Hz is less likely to occur. Therefore, internal heat generation values that have a significant impact on the suspension pad steady-state temperature are less likely to be reached. The commercial software package ALGOR 20.3TM is used to conduct the thermal finite element analysis. Different internal heating scenarios are simulated with the purpose of obtaining the bearing suspension element temperature distribution during normal and abnormal conditions. The results presented in this paper can be used in the future to acquire temperature distribution maps of complete bearing assemblies in service conditions and enable a refined model for the evolution of bearing temperature during operation.

Finite element thermal analysis of a moving porous fin with temperature-variant thermal conductivity and internal heat generation

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Gbeminiyi Sobamowo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Finite Element ◽  
Heat Generation ◽  
Peclet Number ◽  
Numerical Solutions ◽  
Internal Heat ◽  
Internal Heat Generation ◽  
Péclet Number ◽  
Porous Fin

This paper focuses on finite element analysis of the thermal behaviour of a moving porous fin with temperature-variant thermal conductivity and internal heat generation. The numerical solutions are used to investigate the effects of Peclet number, Hartmann number, porous and convective parameters on the temperature distribution, heat transfer and efficiency of the moving fin. The results show that when the convective and porous parameters increase, the adimensional fin temperature decreases. However, the value of the fin temperature is amplified as the value Peclet number is enlarged. Also, an increase in the thermal conductivity and the internal heat generation cause the fin temperature to fall and the rate of heat transfer from the fin to decrease. Therefore, the operational parameters of the fin must be carefully selected to avoid thermal instability in the fin.

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