Research of running contacts wear based on simulation of current distribution in the pantograph slide

In order to solve the task related to wear reduction in the current shoe insert the authors defined the processes which have a bearing on their operation. In order to analyze interactions between the components of the current collection system the authors considered a physical analogue for current distribution from the catenary contact wire to the inserts of the pantograph slide mounted on the electrically propelled vehicles - EMUs. In that model the sliding contact point moves along the strip on the both sides of the axis of symmetry at a speed which is proportional to EMU speed. The current collection process was simulated as an equivalent circuit where the current flows through variable resistors according to the sliding contact position and further on through fixed resistors corresponding to points of bypass wires fixture on the pantograph slide. The equivalent circuit was developed with the following allowances: continuous current collection is expected; transition resistances between the inserts and the contact wire and also between the inserts and the copper underlay of the pantograph slide are neglected; the contact wire is always at right angle to the row of inserts (zigzag is ignored). Calculations made for the equivalent circuit have shown that the central part of pantograph slide is overheated with the current flow through the inserts. For this reason there was suggested a hypothesis that the inserts wear rate produced by the pantograph slide heating should be higher in the central part than on the periphery. References to theoretical and experimental researches have shown that existing pantograph slide designs fail to secure economic use of current collection materials. In the light of their own research the authors suggest that there should be developed new designs of pantograph slide in which the maximum heating in the central part would be lowered.

current collector, sliding contact strip, current distribution, running contact, pantograph slide

1. Kuptsov Yu. E. Besedy o tokos’eme, ego nadezhnosti, ekonomichnosti i o putyakh sovershenstvovani [Talks about the current collection, its reliability, efficiency, and ways of improvement]. Moscow, Modern A Publ., 2001. 256.

2. Belyaev I. A., Mikheev V. P., Shiyan V. A. Tokos’em i tokopriemniki elektropodvizhnogo sostava [Current collectors and pantographs of electric rolling stock]. Moscow, Transport Publ., 1976. 184 p.

3. Gershman I. S., Mironos N. V. Trebovaniya k kontaktnym provodam dlya vysokoskorostnogo zheleznodorozhnogo transporta [Requirements to contact wires for high-speed railway transport]. Vestnik VNIIZhT [Vestnik of the Railway Research Institute], 2011, no. 3, pp. 13 – 17.

4. Vologin V. A. Vzaimodeystvie tokopriemnikov i kontaktnoy seti [Pantograph/catenary interaction]. Moscow, Intext Publ., 2006. 256 p.

5. Frayfel’d A. V. Proektirovanie kontaktnoy seti [Designing catenary]. Moscow, Transport Publ., 1978. 303 p.

6. Vyazovoy M. V., et al. Izmerenie iznosa tokos’emnykh elementov tokopriemnikov elektropoezdov na linii Sankt-Peterburg — Moskva [Wear measurement of current collecting elements of pantographs on the line St. Petersburg — Moscow]. Tokos’em i tyagovoe elektrosnabzhenie pri vysokoskorostnom dvizhenii. Sb. nach. tr. OAO “VNIIZhT” [Current collection and traction power supply for high- speed motion. Coll. of sci. works of JSC “VNIIZhT” (Railway Research Institute)]. Moscow, Intext Publ., 2010, pp. 188 – 190.

7. Gershman I. S., Mironos N. V., Mel’nik M. A., Gershman E. I. Tokos’emnye vstavki dlya tokopriemnikov zheleznodorozhnogo transporta [Current-collecting inserts for current collection of railway transport]. Vestnik VNIIZhT [Vestnik of the Railway Research Institute], 2012, no. 4, pp. 3 – 10.

8. Rules for the arrangement and maintenance of electrified railways catenary (TsE-868). Department of electrification and power supply of the Ministry of Railways of the Russian Federation. Moscow, Transizdat, 2002. 184 p. (in Russ.).

9. Coal contact inserts for current collectors of electric rolling stock. Specifications. TU 1916 020 27208846 99. 28 p. (in Russ.).

10. Savchenko V. A. et al. A way to restore the pantograph’s runner with a partitioned current collector part and bevels. Author’s certificate SU № 1676856 А1. (in Russ.).