| This investigation is concerned with the effect of welding conditions on the development of fatigue-critical weld defects in rail thermite welds. Finite Element Modeling (FEM) was used to analyze the heat transfer behavior during the thermite welding process. The results of the thermal analyses were correlated to the development of various weld defects and compared with measurements performed on laboratory thermite welds. The effects of welding parameters on weld defect development were explored through a series of thermal simulations. It was found that a wider weld gap, a longer preheating time, and a higher liquid temperature help to reduce the occurrence of the most severe weld defects in thermite welds. The influence of welding conditions were summarized in defect formation maps which can be used to guide the selection of welding parameters for improving the quality and reliability of thermite welds. |
