WEAR OF RAILWAY CONTACT WIRES AGAINST CURRENT COLLECTOR MATERIALS

An investigation of the wear and electrical properties of contact wire s and current collectors used in lightweight systems is presented. The tests were conducted under laboratory conditions with a wear apparatu s which simulated train motion. The same contact wires and current col lectors as those in the train and tram systems were used. The friction coefficient of copper vs. copper under steady state conditions was me asured to be 0.38. The friction coefficients of copper vs. copper/carb on composite material, as well as that of the lubricated copper vs. co pper were found to be between 0.2-0.24. Unlubricated wear of contact w ires against copper strips (pantograph collector) exhibited the worst wear performance compared with all other combinations in the investiga tion. The temperatures reached in the actual application were observed to be in the range 250-600 degrees C, making the use of lubricating g reases ineffective. Therefore, as a recommendation, the best way to av oid severe wear and to be able to perform a better electrical contact conduction is to employ solid lubricants in contact materials for curr ent collectors. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.