A series of experimental tests on a block-on-ring tester were carried out to obtain a new understanding of severe material transfer in the process of contact strips rubbing against a contact wire with electric current. Three types of contact strip materials including an aluminum-based strip, a copper-based strip, and a pure carbon strip are tested in electric sliding against two contact wire materials including a pure copper contact wire and a copper–silver alloy contact wire. Test results show that there are serious material transfers in these three different friction couples in electric sliding. The aluminum-based strip has the severest material transfer, followed by the copper-based strip. The pure carbon strip has the minimum material transfer. It is found that the material transfer increases with the increase of the sliding speed, the arc discharge intensity, and the contact pressure. In the presence of electric current, contact strip materials are always transferred to the contact wire.
Using a ring-on-block tester with AC, the authors accomplished several experimental tests on the temperature of the contact wire and strip in sliding electric contact. In the test, the temperature of the samples, arc voltage, electric current, and wear volume of the strip were collected. Influences of the normal force, sliding speed, and electric current on the temperature of the contact wire and strip were studied. Test results show that the temperature of the carbon strip increases with the increasing of sliding speed and electric current or the decreasing of normal force. The strip wear rate is linearly related with the temperature of the strip. Moreover, the factors affecting the strip temperature were also discussed.
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