Enhancing the dynamic performance of a pantograph-catenary system via inerter-based damping technology

A key aim in designing pantograph-catenary (P-C) systems is to maintain an optimal contact force between the pantograph and catenary cables, which guarantees the power transmission efficiency while minimising wear and damage of the contacting elements. However, with increased operation velocity, undesirable vibrations between the pantograph and the catenary can result in poorer power transmission and load damage. To allow faster travel, advanced vibration suppression techniques for P-C system are needed. Here we consider enhancing the performance by adopting inerter-based damping technologies. A typical time-varying lumped model of a P-C system is considered in this work. Optimal suspension configurations show that up to a 25% reduction in contact force variance can be achieved comparing with a traditional passive system.