1986/11/01 by P. Drake, Phillip A. Drake, C. Rathmann +1
Engineering · Mathematics · #Boundary (topology) #Boundary value problem #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Constant (computer programming) #Current (fluid) #Diffusion #Electric current #Electrical Contact Performance and Analysis #Geometry #Joule heating #Materials science #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Maxwell's equations #Mechanics #Physics #Railway Systems and Energy Efficiency #Surface (topology) #Thermal Analysis in Power Transmission #Thermodynamics
paper · doi:10.1109/tmag.1986.1064713
openalex publication_date 1986/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/26
We develop an exact solution to Maxwell's equations to describe the diffusion of the current both along and across an EML rail which satisfies appropriate boundary conditions on all rail surfaces. We argue that assuming a sheath of current uniform along the rail (the 1-D solution) leads to underestimates of the Joule heating near the bore surface, and hence overestimates of the survivability of the bore surface of a rail.