Experimental study on adhesion recovery based on a circumferential test rig

Abstract

Purpose To authenticate the existence and principles of the adhesion recovery phenomenon under water pollution conditions, an innovative circumferential rail–wheel adhesion test rig was used. The study conducted extensive tests on the adhesion characteristics under large sliding conditions. Design/methodology/approach Experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of speed, axle load and slip on adhesion recovery. Based on the experimental results, the adhesion recovery transition function was re-fitted. Findings The study reveals that the adhesion recovery phenomenon truly exists under water conditions. The adhesion coefficient shows an increasing trend with the growth of the slip ratio. Moreover, at the current speed and axle load levels, the adhesion recovery is directly proportional to the square of the slip ratio and inversely proportional to the axle load. Originality/value The phenomenon of adhesion recovery and the formulated equations in this study can serve as an experimental and theoretical foundation for the design of braking and anti-skid control algorithms for trains. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-11-2023-0379/