Jon Sundh

The influence of snow on the tread braking performance of a train: A pin-on-disc simulation performed in a climate chamber

In trains with tread brakes, the coefficient of friction between the brake block and the railway wheel determines the stopping distance. The blocks have traditionally been manufactured from cast iron. Although these blocks have good braking capacity, their use is often restricted due to the squealing noise they emit. Tests of alternative composite block materials have been successful under summer conditions; however, in regions with snowy winters the use of such materials has been limited due to problems with braking capacity under snowy conditions. This research aims to develop a laboratory-scale test methodology for evaluating the braking capacity of tread brake materials under winter and snowy conditions. A pin-on-disc machine placed in a climate chamber was used for testing, and a block of standard cast iron was compared with blocks of standard composite materials. The results indicated that the blocks of standard composite materials generate a much smoother surface on the counter wheel and a significantly lower friction coefficient under snowy conditions. A second test series evaluated blocks of alternative composite materials, and a candidate material with low noise and a sufficiently high sliding friction coefficient was selected for further study. A third test series examining geometrical changes in the contact surface in terms of milled parallel tracks was performed; it revealed that the braking capacity under winter conditions can be increased by milling actions if the parallel tracks are properly oriented – in this case, at an angle of 45° to the sliding direction.

Ultrafine particle formation from wear

Abstract Much attention is given to the consequences of airborne particles on human health and well-being. Wear is one source of airborne particles and contributions in the urban environments from wheel-to-rail contacts and disc brakes cannot be neglected. Traditionally, mechanical wear has been associated with the generation of particles of diameters of some microns. However, the research described has found ultrafine particle generation from wear processes. Particle generation from wear was measured under controlled laboratory conditions. The wear was created through sliding contact in a tribometer (type “pin-on-disc”) with different materials and with different sliding velocities and pressures, to represent rail traffic and automobile disc braking. Particle concentrations and size distributions in the air were determined for particle diameters from 10 nm up to more than 10 μm. For most materials and conditions three particle size modes were found: one at 50–100 nm, one at a few hundred nm and one at a few μm particle diameter.