Improving the technology of aluminothermic rail welding based on software simulation

Abstract

One of the modern methods of connecting railway rails when creating a continuous welded track is thermite welding. The gap between the rails, into which the metal is poured, is 25 mm. However, when repairing rails on the way, it may not be enough to eliminate the defective rail section. Therefore, an increase in the welding gap up to 50 mm is considered a promising direction in the development of thermite welding of rails. T his study presents the results of modeling the process of rail welding by the thermite method using the NovaFlow& Solid CV software package. The purpose of the study was to assess the change in the length of the weld zone and heat-affected zone with an increase in the welding gap from 25 to 50 mm. The results of the simulation are thermograms reflecting the distribution of heat from the weld zone into the rails. These thermograms were used to determine the boundaries of the welded seam and the heat-affected zone. It was found that the use of a welding gap of 50 mm, instead of 25 mm, leads to the increase in the length of the welded seam by 1.3—1.6 times.