Influence of feeder positions at preheating temperature distribution in railway aluminothermic welding simulation

One of the most used techniques for making a continuous rail track is aluminothermic welding. This technique has its advantages in its simplicity, portability, and it does not require external energy when repairing or connecting tracks. One of the crucial parts when implementing this process is the mold design that influences the solidification of the casting. In this study three models were investigated that have varying positions of the feeders: asymmetrical mold, centered mold, and symmetrical mold. The focus of the paper is to determine how the position of the feeder effects the preheating of the side rails that would be welded together. This was carried out using NovaFlow & Solid CV and utilizing its sensor function. The rail was modeled after the 49E1 standard rail, and the preheating was carried out by simulating a burner at 1000 oC for 900 seconds. The asymmetrical model had a negligible increase in temperature, while the symmetrical and centered model were similar. One side rail was more heated than the other, which can be attributed to the positioning and shape of the burner source area.