An advanced 3D-model for the study and simulation of the pantograph catenary system

Catenary systems of modern railways are designed to allow the contact wire to operate satisfactorily over the full extent of the carbon-rubbing strip of the pantograph and to obtain optimum operating conditions, with the goal of developing high running speeds with minimal maintenance cost. In order to obtain suitable results, we must develop realistic mathematical models that allow us a very faithfully simulation of the system behavior, with a low computational cost at runtime. The work here presented is an extension of a previous method presented by the authors, but considering now a three-dimensional model. This new version allows us a more realistic simulation, and includes some details not found in traditional models, as it is the lateral displacement of the contact wire, or a lateral wind load actuating on the catenary. Furthermore, the dynamic equations of the pantograph has been formulated newly, considering this pantograph as an articulated multibody system, by using independent coordinates and symbolic computation. Finally, these equations have been implemented in a high performance computing tool called InDiCa3D.