Investigation on Friction and Wear Behavior of Space Conductive Slip Rings under Vacuum Current-carrying Conditions

LUO Xiaowu; LI Pu; ZHOU Qinghua; CHEN Jiajun; ZHANG Qiang; LIU Yanmin; ZHU Hao

doi:10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2025.06.007

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Equipment Environmental Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (6) : 55-65. DOI: 10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2025.06.007

Aviation and Aerospace Equipment

Investigation on Friction and Wear Behavior of Space Conductive Slip Rings under Vacuum Current-carrying Conditions

LUO Xiaowu^1a,1b,1c, LI Pu^1a,1b,1c,*, ZHOU Qinghua^1a,1b,1c,*, CHEN Jiajun², ZHANG Qiang³, LIU Yanmin³, ZHU Hao^1d

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Abstract

The work aims to investigate the current-carrying friction and wear behavior of space conductive slip rings in a vacuum environment and their evolution, so as to provide data support for enhancing the reliability of rotary electric transmission systems in spacecraft. A self-developed vacuum current-carrying friction and wear test rig was used to systematically study the effects of sliding speed, contact load, and current intensity on the friction coefficient, contact resistance, and wear morphology. Comparative experiments under atmospheric and vacuum conditions were conducted to reveal the damage mechanisms at the contact interface. Under atmospheric conditions, at low speed (1 r/min), the friction coefficient was 0.45±0.05, with a wear width of approximately 0.21 mm; and after a running-in period, the contact resistance stabilized at (0.06±0.03) Ω. At medium speed (10 r/min), the friction coefficient decreased to about 0.35 while the wear width increased to 0.58 mm. At high speed (100 r/min), the friction coefficient dropped below 0.3, and the wear width reached approximately 0.89 mm. Under vacuum conditions, the load tests showed a wear width of 0.29 mm at 0.3 N, which decreased to 0.17 mm at 1 N and then increased to about 0.27 mm at 3 N. Current tests indicated that under atmospheric conditions, the contact resistance fluctuated considerably at 6 A and was significantly reduced at 20 A, with the friction coefficient remaining around 0.3. Under vacuum conditions, the friction coefficient was about 0.2 at 6 A; while at 20 A, due to Joule heating and local arc effects, both the friction coefficient and normal force fluctuated markedly. In conclusion, sliding speed, load, and current exhibit a coupled effect. In vacuum conditions, an optimized load of approximately 1 N, a low speed of about 1 r/min, and a current around 6 A effectively suppress interface damage by optimizing the speed-load-current combination. These findings provide a reliable basis for the design of operating parameters and reliability evaluation of space conductive slip rings.

Key words

conductive slip ring / beryllium bronze / vacuum current-carrying friction and wear / wear morphology / adhesive wear / contact resistance / arc erosion

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LUO Xiaowu, LI Pu, ZHOU Qinghua, CHEN Jiajun, ZHANG Qiang, LIU Yanmin, ZHU Hao. Investigation on Friction and Wear Behavior of Space Conductive Slip Rings under Vacuum Current-carrying Conditions[J]. Equipment Environmental Engineering. 2025, 22(6): 55-65 https://doi.org/10.7643/issn.1672-9242.2025.06.007

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