Pantograph/catenary hybrid simulation based on internal force identification

Abstract

The pantograph/catenary hybrid simulation (HS) system evaluates the performance of pantographs considering dynamic interaction between pantograph and catenary. In order to calculate dynamic motion of the catenary, the conventional HS uses contact force between pantograph head and catenary that is measured by a loadcell. However, if the contact point changes with time, it is difficult to measure the contact force using loadcell. This paper proposes an HS method that uses contact force identified based on the strain and acceleration that are measured on the pantograph head. The calibration factors to calculate the contact force are determined by static loading test and excitation test of the pantograph. The proposed HS method is compared with the conventional HS that uses the loadcell to measure the contact force. If center of the pantograph head is excited, the obtained contact force and pantograph head displacement of the proposed HS testing correspond with those of the conventional HS testing. However, if the excitation point is far from the center of the pantograph head, fluctuation of the contact force and pantograph head displacement of the proposed HS testing is smaller than those of the conventional HS testing. The difference between proposed and conventional HS testing may be caused by the missing transfer path of the load from contact strip to the pantograph head.