Numerical study on the characteristics of temperature distribution in continuous welded rail by solar radiation and rail orientation

In summer, the high ambient air temperatures and increased solar radiation cause rises in rail temperatures, and rails can experience the buckling. In this study, a thermofluidic analysis was conducted to predict the temperature of a rail. Numerical simulations were performed by changing the orientation of the rails. The south-north rail and the east-west rail was named "0 degrees rail" and "90 degrees rail", respectively. The numerical results from the 0 degrees and 90 degrees rails were validated by comparing them with measured values. Based on this validation, the temperature distribution of a 45 degrees rail was analyzed. The total amount of energies received by the rail were in the order of 0 degrees > 45 degrees > 90 degrees. The results of this study showed that the temperature of a rail can be sufficiently predicted through numerical simulation, and this approach can be used in a forecast to predict a time when buckling might occur.