Active Control of a High-Speed Pantograph

The design and performance of an active controller for a pantograph which collects current for a high-speed train are considered. A dynamic model of the pantograph/catenary system is described and control objectives are established. A design which incorporates a frame-actuated controller and requires only a single measurement is described. Over an array of train speeds, the contact force variation with the actively controlled pantograph is 50 percent less than for the equivalent passive pantograph system.