Abstract

Today's knowledge of ski friction is mainly based on experience from field testing with real skis. A systematic investigation of ski friction in field conditions however, is difficult, since snow properties and weather conditions can vary rapidly during outdoor tests. An efficient field test conducted with an accurate and continuous snow characterization is both time consuming and expensive. In order to avoid the high uncertainties of field testing, a large-scale laboratory tribometer, which measures the friction of a small ski sample on ice or snow was built. The sample is attached to the measuring arm which is placed on a revolving rink of ice or snow. Additional weights can be mounted on the arm to vary the load. The operating temperature can be set between -20°C and 0°C. Velocity at the position of the sample can be varied between 0.5ms-1 and 20ms-1. Infrared sensors measure the temperature evolution of the track over time during the friction tests. In addition, procedures were developed to create different ice roughness and snow hardness. Preliminary results show a good correlation between the field and laboratory measurements. This device allows for more accurate, faster and cheaper testing of ski-base materials or surface treatments. Verf.-Referat