The Study of Arc Rate, Friction, and Wear Performance of C/C Composites in Pantograph–Catenary System

A series of tests on arc rate, friction coefficient, and wear rate of electrical current collectors sliding against overhead contact wires under different conditions was carried out on a high-speed friction and wear testing machine with a pin-on-disc configuration. The worn surface morphology and composition were examined using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersion spectrum analyzer, respectively. The effects of current, velocity, and load on the arc rate, friction coefficient, and wear rate of C/C composites/QCr0.5 couples were investigated, and the influence mechanism of test parameters on C/C composites was explained. It is concluded that the wear rate increases with an increase in current and velocity and has a decreasing trend with the increase in load. The friction coefficient increases with an increase in velocity and load. The arc rate of C/C composites/QCr0.5 couples increases with an increase in current and velocity. Under the condition of the same current and velocity, when the load is 70 N, the arc rate is the lowest.