Probing the effect of grinding-heat on material removal mechanism of rail grinding

Rail grinding is of vital importance for high-speed railway with safe, reliable and comfortable operation. Here, a self-design grinding machine was applied to evaluate the performance of as-prepared grinding stone (GS) vs Rail under normal loads and grinding speeds. Results illustrate that the increase in normal load leads to the wider and thicker wear debris, but the increasing grinding speed is opposite. Friction-induced heat regulated by working parameters determines the grinding properties of the GSs/Rail contact, high grinding-heat causes the plastic deformation and accelerates the wear. The finite element analysis verifies the source/distribution of grinding-heat and heat flux, thereby revealing the material removal mechanism. It is of great significance for long-term safe and reliable operation of rail via grinding regulation.