Modelling of worn draft gear

Friction is the primary energy dissipating mechanism of friction draft gears. As a result, wear is inevitable for friction pairs. Dynamic behaviour of friction draft gears is a highly nonlinear issue, which can be very sensitive to component geometries and frictional conditions. Dynamic behaviour of worn draft gears can be substantially different from that of new draft gears. This study models worn draft gears on the basis of wear measurements and a white-box draft gear model. A demonstrative comparison of the dynamic characteristics of a new draft gear and a worn draft gear is presented.