Variances of Catenary-Pantograph Systems in Standards of Japan and Europe

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Variances of Catenary-Pantograph Systems in
Standards of Japan and Europe
PACIFIC 2011

• 2011 - 12 - 8
• Railway Technical Research Institute
• Railway International Standards Center
• Hiroki Nagasawa
• Shinzo Noguchi
• Takayuki Usuda

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Outline

• Survey the catenary pantograph systems
• in standards of Japan and Europe.
• There are many similarities in both systems.
• Some differences in the design policies.
• Both have merits and demerits.
• Examples
• A Upward force of pantograph
• B Automatic tensioning method
• C Management of fatigue on contact wire.

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Standards for OCL in Japan

• Law Railway Operation Act
• Ministerial Ordinance to Provide the Technical
• Standard on Railway (Shorei)
• performance standards
• Approved specification for Ministerial
• Ordinance (Kaishaku-kijun)
• Specific examples of the ordinance, not
  obligatory.
• Japanese Industrial Standards (JISs)
• Other documents Manuals, Company Codes

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Standards for OCL in Europe

• I suppose
• EC Directives
• Technical Specifications for Interoperability
  (TSIs) by ERA
• European Norms (ENs)
• Many ENs are published by CEN and CENELEC
• Examples EN 50119, 50367, 50388, etc.

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A. Upward Force of Pantograph

• Contact force of pantograph in Japan
• Set to 50 - 65 N at standstill for many lines.
• When running, it increases by aerodynamic force.
• However, it is constrained to around 100 N.
• Contact force of pantograph in Europe
• Set to 150 N at standstill for many lines.
• Intentionally increased at standstill
• for carbon strips.

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Features of both systems

• The high upward force of pantograph can lead to
  keep steady contact between the pantograph and
  OCL.
• Reasons for the small upward force in Japan.
• To avoid trouble occurrence caused by large
  uplift of the contact wire in strong wind.
• To avoid breakdown of contact wire by fatigue
  from many passages of pantographs.
• But it needs means to avoid contact loss of
  pantograph at high speed running.

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Means for high speed running

• High voltage bus connection between two
  pantographs are used in Shinkansen train set.
• This provides very stable current collection.
• Bus connection of pantographs needs
• Switch-Over Sections for OCL.

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Composition of Switch-Over Section
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B. Automatic Tensioning Method

• For high speed line in Europe
• Use of Two automatic tensioners are recommended
  for each contact wire and messenger wire.
• Construction work for this method is easier than
  the jointed system (single tensioner).
• Anchoring devices have to be installed at the
  mid-points of the whole wire lengths in this
  method.

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Automatic Tensioning Method in Japan

• Several types of tensioners are used
• Wheel type is the most popular.
• many Spring type tensioners are also used.
• Single automatic tensioner pulls both of
  messenger wire and contact wire by yoke.
• The tension of the device is changed slightly
  with the position in the stroke of the device.
• Because of the tension control of the device,
  there is No need for anchoring device.

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Wheel type tensioning devices in Japan
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Spring type tensioning device in Japan
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Example of tension control by automatic
tensioner in Japan
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C. Managing Fatigue on Contact Wires

• Contact wire has two major stresses
• Tensile stress caused by tension
• Bending stress caused by pantograph sliding
• Bending stress increases
• with upward force of pantograph
• with train running speed

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Bending strain of contact wire caused by
pantograph
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Background of Fatigue Management

• There are many lines with a large number of
  trains passing per day in Japan.
• There are several weak points in OCL.
• There had been several troubles by fatigue
  in the past.
• There have been many laboratory and field tests
  on fatigue of contact wires.

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Structure of Fatigue Test Equipment for Contact
Wire
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Maximum Stress
Example of laboratory test results for contact
wire fatigue life
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Measurement of contact wire strain

• The strain is measured by strain gauge attached
  on the contact wire.
• It is not always true that the measuring point
  has the largest strain on the line.
• We use estimation of bending strain
• and setting margin.

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Measurement in the field
Railway International Standards Center
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Counter measures for fatigue of contact wires

• Prevention of pantograph contact force increase
• Lightening of fittings for OCL
• Improvement of structure of contact wire crossing
• Improve fitting for crossing
• Avoid crossing of contact wires
• Avoidance of mechanical connection of contact
  wires in high speed area

Railway International Standards Center
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Conclusion

• There are many similarities and several
  differences in standards for OCL in Japan and
  Europe
• These differences have already been taken into
  consideration in Working Groups (WGs) of IEC TC9.
• The WGs have been developing several
  International Standards.

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IEC TC9 Standards

• The following standards have been developed
• IEC 60913 Electric traction overhead contact
  lines
• 
  (under revision)
• IEC 62313 Technical criteria for the
  co-ordination between power supply and rolling
  stock to achieve interoperability
  (published)
• IEC 62486 Current collection systems - Technical
  criteria for the interaction between pantograph
  and overhead line
  (published)

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Thank you very muchfor your kind attention