Dynamics of Pantograph–Catenary Arc During the Pantograph Lowering Process

Pantograph-catenary (PC) arc has become an obstacle for the further development of high-speed railway. Understanding on the underlying physical mechanisms of PC arc dynamics is still far away from satisfactory; therefore, researches from both experimental and numerical aspects are urgently required. This paper focused on the dynamic characteristics of PC arc during the pantograph lowering process by numerical simulation method. A PC arc model was established based on the classical magnetohydrodynamics theory, with the temporal evolution of PC arc dynamics considered. The dynamic mesh technique was utilized to take care of the departure process between the pantograph and the catenary. Detailed behaviors of arc plasmas during the pantograph lowering process were presented by the temperature distribution and flow filed. Two interesting vortexes located below the catenary were found. The vortexes rotated in the opposite direction, resulting from the special gas flow motion during the pantograph movement. Furthermore, the gas flow brought about a thermal pinch effect on arc column, which had a significant influence on the next behaviors of arc plasmas. Besides, the effects of input current on the arc characteristics were studied.