Optimization of friction and electrical resistance performance in graphite-copper electrical contacts using Taguchi-based grey relational analysis

Abstract

This study aims to investigate how the load, the intensity, and the polarity of electric current influence the frictional behavior and electrical resistance between a graphite pin loaded against a rotating copper disc. A pin-on-cylinder tribometer was utilized to achieve this. A gray relational grade obtained from gray relational analysis was employed to assess the performance characteristic in the Taguchi mixed L18 (2 1 x 3 2) method. The Taguchi design method determined the optimal control factors that affect the friction coefficient and electrical resistance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to analyze the effects of the control parameters on the friction coefficient and electrical resistance of the contact. The experiment parameters included applied normal load (3, 5.5, and 8.5 N), electrical current (10, 25, and 30 A), and polarity (cathode and anode). The analysis results indicated that the polarity was the primary factor influencing the friction coefficient, while the electrical current was the most effective factor in the electrical resistance of the contact. The optimal control parameters for achieving the lowest friction coefficient values were X1Y3Z1, while for the lowest electrical resistance values were X2Y3Z3. Based on the gray relational analysis results, the optimal parameters for minimizing both the friction coefficient and electrical resistance were X1Y3Z1.

Keywords

• taguchi design
• electric current
• graphite
• friction coefficient
• electrical resistance
• grey relational analysis