Research On The Wear Properties Of Carbon Strips And Contact Wires At Frigid Temperatures

The wear properties of pantograph-catenary contacts are greatly affected by frigid temperatures. However, there have been few reports concerning wear of current carrying elements at frigid temperatures. Wear mechanisms for four contact wire materials were compared in this paper. The coefficient of friction and the electrical contact resistance were monitored during each test, and after testing, the wear morphology of each carbon strip sample was evaluated. The results showed that a Cu-Cr-Zr alloy had superior wear-resisting properties and electrical conductivity when used as a contact wire. Furthermore, the variations in electric current and normal load has a significantly influenced on the coefficient of friction and electrical contact resistance of the tested contact pairs. For 5 A, many wear particles were dispersed randomly in the contact area. For 50 A, oxidative adhesion and microcrack propagation were observed at the contact.