An investigation revealed the influence of the different magnitude and duration of the current-impact on the wear property to the carbon skateboard/stainless steel contact

Collector-conductor rail systems play a crucial role in facilitating the regular functioning of intercity trains. The repeated acceleration and deceleration of trains result in a continuous and significant increase in current, leading to a power-current impact at the contact interface of the boot rail system within a collector-conductor rail system. The objective of this study was to elucidate the tribology mechanism associated with the current impact, considering the variations in magnitude (40 A, 80A, 160 A) and duration. The power current impact led to significant reductions in both the coefficient of friction (from 0.35 to 0.1) and the electrical contact resistance (from 20 to 4.95 mΩ). The interface temperature increase caused by the instantaneous current impact reached 320 °C. The current impact accelerated the process of the formation and destruction of the friction membrane layer within the contact area. In the scenario of intermittent strong current impact (160 A), the predominant wear mechanisms are oxidative wear and delamination wear. However, as the impact current decreases to 80 A or 40 A, the primary wear mechanisms shift to abrasive wear and adhesive wear.