Effect of collector deformable modes in pantograph—catenary dynamic interaction

The aim of the paper is to highlight the influence of the deformable modes of the collector of high-speed pantograph on the quality of current collection. The study was first conducted with an experimental survey on a few collectors for high-speed pantographs, in order to determine their modal parameters and dynamic responses in relation with their structures. Subsequently, a comparison with finite-element modelling was performed, comparing the calculated natural frequencies and mode shapes with the measured ones. Finally, the influence of the deformable modes on the dynamic interaction between pantograph and catenary was analysed, using a simulation model developed in previous works, incorporating the deformable modes of the collector into the model of the pantograph, by means of the experimentally defined modal parameters. The objective of this analysis was to investigate, in particular, the effect of the contact wire irregularity on the contact force up to 100 Hz.