Generation of airborne wear particles from the wheel–rail contact under wet conditions using a twin-disk rig

Abstract

Electrical railways produce airborne wear particles (AWPs) in significant amounts from wheel–rail contact. Herein, the effects of wet conditions on the AWPs released from the wheel–rail contact under different normal loads were investigated using a twin-disk rig. A fast mobility particle sizer and an optical particle sizer were used to measure number concentrations (NCs) of AWPs. Analyses of NCs and particle size distribution were conducted. The findings suggest that significantly fewer AWPs are generated under wet conditions than under dry conditions. Marked differences were also seen in the size distribution peaks between wet and dry conditions: under dry conditions, the largest peak corresponded to fine particles, whereas under wet conditions, the largest peak corresponded to ultrafine particles. The generation trends of AWPs were different for dry and wet conditions: AWPs increased and then decreased after maximal NCs under dry condition; however, they increased and then remained nearly constant under wet conditions. The total amount of ultrafine, fine, and coarse particles increased with normal load under wet conditions, indicating that AWP generation is significantly influenced by the normal load. Furthermore, water can significantly reduce the amount of ultrafine, fine, and coarse particles generated from the wheel–rail contact.