The Effects of Friction Block Shape on Friction-Induced Wear, Vibration, and Noise of Train Brake Interface at Low Temperature

On specific railway lines, trains are faced with the challenge of low-temperature environments. However, it is still unclear how the low-temperature service environment affects the friction-induced wear and vibration behavior at the train braking interface. Similarly, the impact of the brake pad friction block shape under low temperatures on this behavior is not well understood. This lack of knowledge adversely affects the operation, maintenance, and use of brake pads in low-temperature environments. Therefore, test samples of friction blocks were designed and processed based on several commonly used friction block shapes for trains (ellipse, triangle, and pentagon). Parking brake tests were conducted on a self-developed test bench with controllable temperature, exploring how different shapes affect friction-induced wear, vibration, and noise at the train braking interface under low temperatures (− 20 °C). The results showed that under the effects of low-temperature environments, the shape of the friction block significantly affects the friction-induced wear and vibration noise of the braking interface. Among them, the elliptical friction block has a smaller eccentric wear angle, a smaller and evenly distributed contact plateau area, relatively minor surface wear, and produces low-intensity vibration noise with small fluctuations. In contrast, the triangular and pentagonal friction blocks have larger eccentric wear angles, larger and concentrated contact plateau areas, relatively severe surface wear, and generate high-intensity vibration noise with large fluctuations. Analyzing the reasons, it is found that under the combined effects of low-temperature conditions and different shapes, the friction-induced wear on the surface of the friction block changes, thus exciting different intensities of vibration and noise.

Graphical abstract