Modelling and identification of catenary-pantograph system

The purpose of this paper is to present a survey and analysis of the dynamic interaction between the pantograph and a catenary system. The work presented in this paper emphasizes the modelling, simulation of co-operating systems and identification done by experiments on a physical model. For analytical and numerical investigation the overhead electrification system is modelled by visco-elastically connected double Bernoulli-Euler beams. For the pantograph – a model of masses vibrating in the vertical plane at a constant velocity and having four degrees of freedom (DOF) is adopted. The construction of a simple virtual model for computer simulation and some results obtained from investigations carried out on this model are presented. The work contains some numerical examples that illustrate presented theoretical investigations. The analysis of the virtual and two physical experimental models gives the possibility and benefit of their mutual verification and comparison.