Rail End Fusing Without Heat-Affected Zones
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods of welding rails result in a heat-affected zone that weakens the material, leading to potential failures and defects in the joined area.
Innovation Solution
A method involving heating elements positioned between aligned rail ends, covered in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, which are energized to heat the rails to a hot working temperature, allowing them to be fused together through transverse motion without reaching melting temperatures, eliminating the heat-affected zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional welding methods (thermite or flash-butt welding) are used to join rails, then the rails can be connected together, but a heat-affected zone is created that weakens the material and reduces reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the temperature parameter from melting range (conventional welding) to hot working temperature range (below melting point). This allows the rail ends to be heated to a temperature where they become plastically deformable and can be fused together through transverse motion, but without creating the harmful heat-affected zone that occurs when material is heated to melting temperatures and then cooled
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal-melting mechanism (conventional welding) with a thermal-plastic deformation mechanism. Instead of melting the rail ends and joining them through solidification, the heated rail ends are joined through plastic deformation and fusing while in the solid state, eliminating the heat-affected zone and associated material weakening
2Ease of manufacture
If molten metal is used to join rails together, then the rails are connected, but the heat from the molten metal creates a heat-affected zone that extends into both rails and weakens the material
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts or removes the harmful element (molten metal and heat-affected zone) from the joining process. By heating the rail ends below their melting points and joining them through plastic deformation and fusing, the process eliminates the creation of molten metal and the associated heat-affected zone that extends into the rail material
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful effect of heat into a beneficial effect. Instead of using heat to melt the material (which creates harmful heat-affected zones), the heat is used to plastically deform the material and enable fusing through transverse motion. The heat that would normally be harmful is now the mechanism that enables the beneficial plastic deformation and fusing process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method produces a uniformly strong fused rail assembly without heat-affected zones, reducing the risk of material weakness and defects, with approximately 98% of energy used as electrical energy for heating and minimal force required for engagement.
Implementation Method 1
The heating elements are energized, to heat portions of the first and second rails to a predetermined hot working temperature
Implementation Method 2
the heated portions are at the predetermined hot working temperature, the first and second end faces are engaged with each other, to fuse together
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a fused rail assembly in which one or more heating elements are positioned in a gap between first and second end faces of aligned first and second rails. The end faces are covered by a non-oxidizing atmosphere, and the heating elements are energized, to heat portions of the first and second rails to a predetermined hot working temperature. While one or more of the first end faces is moving transversely relative to center lines of the rails, and while the heated portions are at the predetermined hot working temperature, the first and second end faces are engaged with each other, to fuse together, forming the fused rail assembly. The transverse motion of the first end face or the second end face or both may commence before or after the first and second end faces are engaged.