Investigation on Coupled Electro-thermo-mechanical Response of Space Slip Rings Influenced by Wear Debris

CHEN Yao; LI Pu; ZHANG Qiang; ZHOU Qinghua; LIU Yanmin; LUO Xiaowu; CHEN Jiajun; HUANG Xiaolong; XIONG Lindong

doi:10.7643/ issn.1672-9242.2025.09.014

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Equipment Environmental Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (9) : 126-137. DOI: 10.7643/ issn.1672-9242.2025.09.014

Aviation and Aerospace Equipment

Investigation on Coupled Electro-thermo-mechanical Response of Space Slip Rings Influenced by Wear Debris

CHEN Yao^1a, LI Pu^1a*, ZHANG Qiang^2*, ZHOU Qinghua^1a, LIU Yanmin², LUO Xiaowu^1a, CHEN Jiajun^1a, HUANG Xiaolong^1b, XIONG Lindong³

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Abstract

The work aims to investigate the influence mechanism of wear debris presence on the distribution states of electro-thermo-mechanical multi-physics fields and the friction-wear behavior in space conductive slip rings, so as to provide theoretical support for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of power transmission in spacecraft. Utilizing the ABAQUS software, a multi-physics coupling model was established to systematically investigate the influence of different operating conditions (including wear debris distribution characteristics) and material constitutive relationships on the coupled effects of contact pressure, elastic field, thermal field, and electric field in the brush-ring structure. The generation of wear debris led to a reduction in the effective contact area and a significant increase in the contact stress, inducing a detrimental feedback loop characterized by “wear-surface roughening-renewed wear”. Heat was concentrated in the contact region between the brush and wear debris, with increased temperature gradients at the boundaries causing localized thermal damage. The wear debris contact points constituted the core regions of electric field variation, resulting in enhanced localized electrical resistance and non-uniform electric distortion, while elevated localized electrical resistance resulted in drastic fluctuations in current density, affecting the stability of electrical transmission. The elastoplastic constitutive model more accurately represented the contact evolution and thermal response characteristics in actual services. The study elucidates the multi-field coupling evolution mechanism of space conductive slip rings under the influence of wear debris. Wear debris induced stress concentration, heat accumulation, and electric distortion significantly exacerbate wear and the risk of electrical contact failure. Optimizing properties of contact material and operational parameters (such as applied load, current density) are identified as the critical pathway for mitigating wear debris-induced damage and enhancing system service life.

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space conductive slip rings / abrasive wear / multi-field coupling theory / contact resistance / electrical transmission stability

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CHEN Yao, LI Pu, ZHANG Qiang, ZHOU Qinghua, LIU Yanmin, LUO Xiaowu, CHEN Jiajun, HUANG Xiaolong, XIONG Lindong. Investigation on Coupled Electro-thermo-mechanical Response of Space Slip Rings Influenced by Wear Debris[J]. Equipment Environmental Engineering. 2025, 22(9): 126-137 https://doi.org/10.7643/ issn.1672-9242.2025.09.014

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