Development of Composition Brake Shoe for Reducing Heat Load to Wheel Tread with Keeping Brake Performance

Abstract

In rail vehicles using composition brake shoes, the friction coefficient between the wheel and the brake shoe tends to decrease under wet conditions. In order to maintain the braking force, it is common practice to insert a metallic block to remove the water. However, the metallic block causes a localized temperature rise on the wheel tread surface under dry conditions, which is one of the factors in wheel tread damage and concave wheel tread wear. A composition brake shoe was developed to suppress the temperature rise of the wheel tread and, at the same time, maintain the brake force under wet conditions. This paper summarizes the evaluation of the composition brake shoe performance in dynamo tests, running tests and long-term durability running tests, including verification that the developed brake shoe has controlled concave wear.