Dynamic performance of a pantograph-catenary system with the consideration of the appearance characteristics of contact surfaces

In this paper, a modeling method for a pantograph-catenary system is put forward to investigate the dynamic contact behavior in space, taking into consideration of the appearance characteristics of the contact surfaces of the pantograph and catenary. The dynamic performance of the pantograph-catenary system, including contact forces, accelerations, and the corresponding spectra, is analyzed. Furthermore, with the modeling method, the influences of contact wire irregularity and the vibration caused by the front pantograph on the rear pantograph for a pantograph-catenary system with double pantographs are investigated. The results show that the appearance characteristics of the contact surfaces play an important role in the dynamic contact behavior. The appearance characteristics should be considered to reasonably evaluate the dynamic performance of the pantograph-catenary system.