Modeling of Eddy Current Welding of Rail: Three-Dimensional Simulation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Computational Mechanics
• Electromagnetism

Background:

• Traditional 2D simulations for rail heat treatment often neglect longitudinal directions.
• This simplification limits the accuracy of magnetic induction strength and temperature calculations.
• Accurate modeling is crucial for optimizing welding processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model for eddy current welding of rails.
• To incorporate longitudinal directions into electromagnetic-thermal coupled simulations.
• To optimize the heat treatment process for U75V rails.

Main Methods:

• Development of an electromagnetic-thermal coupled 3D model.
• Inclusion of z-axis spatial angle into a 2D model for eddy current heat calculation.
• Finite element method (FEM) for meshing the 3D model.
• Numerical computation of electromagnetic-thermal coupling and parametric analysis.

Main Results:

• The 3D model provides new insights by coupling electric and magnetic field computations.
• Parametric dependence of eddy current heating was thoroughly investigated.
• Optimal heat treatment parameters for U75V rail were identified through simulations with varying current densities, frequencies, and distances.

Conclusions:

• The proposed 3D model enhances the accuracy of eddy current welding simulations.
• The study successfully identified optimal parameters for U75V rail heat treatment.
• This work contributes to improved efficiency and quality in rail welding.