Experimental and numerical investigation on the components of a pantograph slider suspension

AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics, Department of Robotics and Mechatronics, Al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

^* Corresponding author: zdziebko@agh.edu.pl

Abstract

Mechanical properties of the components of a pantograph’s slider suspension system have large influence on the quality of pantograph-catenary interaction. In the paper the authors present the results of their experimental research on the springs that are used in the pantograph being currently in operation in Europe. Static and dynamic tests were performed, which were aimed at determining the stiffness and damping coefficients respectively. Subsequently, the procedure for automated numerical model building for the pantograph’s springs was prepared employing the Python programming language and the MSC Marc solver. When a spring model is build (accordingly to the geometric properties of the springs used in tests), the elaborated algorithm iteratively tunes the material properties and computes static and dynamic load-cases, making direct reference to the experimental procedure. After completing several iterations the numerical model is finally validated, and proper material properties, as the Young modulus and the coefficients of Rayleigh damping model, are found. Then, the obtained model can be used to determine the damping and stiffness coefficients for springs characterizing various diameters, wire diameters, numbers of turns, etc. The presented modelling tool is useful for determining the pantograph sliders suspension characteristics.