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Journal of Metallurgical Engineering (ME) Volume 3 Issue 1, January 2014

doi: 10.14355/me.2014.0301.06

Organization Simulation Analysis of the

U75V Cooling Process
Lin Chen 1,Fang Zhang 2,Zhiyang Zhang3 ,Ran Wei4
Material and Metallurgy School, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
chenlin39805@163.com; 2zhfangirl@126.com; 3zzy86handan@126.com;weiran316@163.com

*1

Abstract
Based on the finite element software DEFORM-3D,
temperature field, the bending deformation and organize
field were simulated in the process of U75V rail air cooling.
The change rules of temperature, deflection and phase
composition during air cooling process were analyzed. Then,
from the comprehensive views of temperature and phase
transition, some reasons for rail bending deformation were
found, which will help design rail quenching process.
Keywords

empirical equation of the following: three-dimensional

shape
f=1-exp(-Ktn) 3 n 4
Where F is phase volume fraction; t is the time of
transformation from the end of the incubation period
to the beginning time; K, n are parameters. K depends
on the temperature, the original parent phase
composition and grain size; while n depends on the
type of phase change and relates to nucleation,
geometric form of growth

DEFORM; Temperature; Phase Transformation; Air COoling;

Bending Deformation

Experimental Procedure
Establish the Rail Model
The three-dimensional model of 10m length rail is
established, and the process of air cooling rail is
simulated.
The initial and air temperature are 900, and 30,
respectively.
Rail coefficient of convective heat transfer and
radiation heat transfer coefficient in the air cooling are
in reference 1.
Because the rail is axially symmetric shape, and in
order to reduce the amount of calculation, rail section
and the length of the 1/2 are chose according to the
actual size of the cross-section of the rail, 1/4 model
of rail is established, and simulation calculation is
performed.
The symmetry plane of model and the cooling load are
shown in Fig. 1.
Simulatiom of Cooling Process Transformation
In DEFORM-3D, the start of controlled phase
transformation and phase variable are based on the
TTT curve of U75V for the pearlite transformation,
according to nucleus position probability model,
combined with a large number of experimental data,
in addition in addition, Avarmi suggested the
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FIG. 1 FRACTURE OF RAIL SYMMETRY PLANE AND SURFACE

NUMBERS

Rail belongs to non isothermal transformation during

cooling quenching in actual production,as well
qualitative analysis and calculation need the
continuous cooling transformation curve namely CCT
curve and dynamics

Journal of Metallurgical Engineering (ME) Volume 3 Issue 1, January 2014

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FIG. 2 FRACTURE OF TEMPERATURE NEPHOGRAM DURING AIR COOLING (a)260s(b)300s(c)480s(d)690s(e)800s(f)6000s

The CCT curve of metal and alloy present the relations

between organizational change quantity and time
under different cooling rate,and simultaneously show
the begin and end time of transformation process of
various organizations, temperature and the final change
quantity, but the expression of kinetics is absent.

repeated bending.

Results and Discussion

The Rail Temperature Field Calculation
Temperature chart at different time in the rail air
cooling process are shown in Fig. 2.
Simulation of Rail Bending Deformation
As can be seen from Figure 3, according to the rail
deflection, the rail can experience four stages of

FIG. 3 FRACTURE OF RAIL DEFLECTION

In 0~260s, railhead bends to rail bottom, and reaches

maximum deflection of-19.7mm at 260s; at 260~470s,
rail bottom bends to railhead, and reaches the
maximum deflection value of 12.5mm at 480s;while at

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Journal of Metallurgical Engineering (ME) Volume 3 Issue 1, January 2014

480-690s,railhead bends to rail bottom,and reaches

maximum value of-68.1mm at 690s;during 690~6000s,
rail bottom bends to the railhead.Rail deflections are
maintained after 6000s at 75.2mm. The rule of bend at
the four stages is the same as document 3.
Numerical Simulationn of the Rail
It can be seen that rail has not entered the phase
transformation zone at cooling time in 0-300s in Fig.
4(a). In the 300s, the rail appears a small amount of
pearlite at the rail bottom in Fig. 4(b) accounting for
1.5% of the total volume of the rail.When the cooling
time is 300~300s, phase change occurs at the rail
bottom,and the amount of pearlite increases to 16.3%

in Fig. 4(c). When the cooling time is 480s,the rail head

starts phase change occurring,while the pearlite
amounts to 32.3% in Fig. 4(d).While during 690~800s,
the pearlite increasing from 88% to 95% in Fig. 4(e), (f)
can be thought of after 800 s,the phase changes nearly
ends.
The Influence of Temperature and Organization
Changes on the Bending
In order to analyze the influence of temperature field
and the organization field on the bending deformation,
the air cooling process of rail can be divided into
phase change earlier stage,transition stage and later
stage.

FIG. 3 FRACTURE of PEARLITE VOLUME DISTRIBUTION NEPHOGRAMne DURING AIR COOLING

(a)260s(b)300s(c)460s(d)480s(e)690s(f)800s

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Journal of Metallurgical Engineering (ME) Volume 3 Issue 1, January 2014

a. Rail air cooling phase change earlier stage in 0~300 s

In 0~260s,the cooling velocity in the rail head is faster
than rail bottom,while 74% of the rail head is high
temperature region at above 781 in 260s.The
temperature of the center is higher than both sides of
edge at the rail bottom,and the temperature
accounting for eighty percent is below 781 at the rail
bottom,because shrinkage has great influence on the
rail bottom,and the rail bends to the rail bottom.
The rail temperature shrinkage varies significantly
obviously above 781 in 260~300s,and the reduction
accounts for 13.3% of total volume of the rail.In
addition,the reduction of high-temperature zone
above 781 only accounts for 5% of the total volume
of the rail at the rail bottom.The shrinkage of hightemperature zone causes the rail bending to the rail
head.
b.Rail air cooling phase transition stage in 300~800 s
In 300~480s,phase transition area is mostly at the
bottom of the rail,and there is no phase transition in
the railhead.Due to the intent heat of phase change
release,the lower trend of the temperature at the
bottom is slow.The rail bent to the railhead, because of
cooling shrinkage in the railhead and phase volume
expansion at the bottom of rail.
In 480~690s,it is not obvious that the rail phase
transition area expands at the bottom,the phase
change of the rail head starts occurring,the
temperature of rail head caused by the release of
intent heat of phase change slowly reduces,and the
temperature of the rail bottom decreases faster,
because the phase volume change and heat bilges cold
shrink lead to bending to the rail bottom.Without the
influence of the phase change latent heat,phase change
is most complete in the railhead area in 690~800 s, and
the temperature drop of the railhead began to
accelerate, for example,the maximal value of
temperature decreases from 190 to 170 on the
cross section of the rail.The gap of temperature
between the railhead and the rail bottom is shrinking,
and the rail begins to bend to railhead.
c.Rail air cooling phase change later stage after 800s
In 800~6000s,when the phase change mostly finishes,
the pearlite amounts to 95%.The temperature of
railhead is higher than that of the bottom of rail,and
the gap of temperature on the cross section of rail

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gradually becomes narrower.The rail bends to the

railhead due to the expansion with heat and contract
with cold.
After 6000s,the temperature of the rail is close to room
temperature,the range of temperature is small,the rail
will not appear deformation,and deflection remains
unchanged.
Conclusion
The air cooling process of rail can be divided into
phase change earlier stage,transition stage and later
stage.
Rail temperature and organization chart of air cooling
model are comprehensively analyzed,therefore,it can
be seen that the temperature field and the organization
field are mutual influence in the rail air cooling
process, and jointly determine the bending deformation
of the rail.
The process of application of deform software
simulates rail cooling,and the simulation results make
sure the rail quenching process parameters and have
the significance of reference.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The research was supported by National Natural

Science Foundation(51361021);The Major Project of the
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Natural Science
Foundation(2012ZD09);The Scientific Research Project
of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Higher
Education(NJZZ12099).
REFERENCES

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Li Ge,Zhao Yuping,Huang Xianhai.Hot rolled steel bending
deformation of the air cooling process computer
simulation[J]. Journal of plastic engineering. 2006, 13(3):
74-77.
Zhang Jianguo,Jing Xionggang.TTT curve,CCT curve and
U75V rail induction heat treatment microstructure
analysis[J]. Journal of material heat treatment technology.
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