HEAT GENERATION PREDICTION IN THE RAILWAY DRAW

Abstract. The temperature of rubber or rubber-metal springs is liable to increase under cyclic loading, due to hysteresis losses and low rubber thermal conductivity. This well-known phenomenon, called a heat build-up, is the primary reason for rubber aging. A temperature increase within the rubber compound leads to degradation of its physical and chemical properties, its stiffness increase and its damping capability loss. An extensive heat build-up can be a major concern during the accelerated fatigue testing of rubber-metal springs as it alters the spring properties during the testing procedure and can cause permanent damage leading to the testing results unreliability. The paper presents a case study of the heat generation prediction in the rubber-metal spring of railway draw gear during dynamic testing in accordance with UIC Code 827-1