Design and Simulation for Optical Acquisition of Pantograph-catenary Arcing Detection System of Electrified Railway

Abstract

Running efficiency of electrified railway is restricted seriously by arcing between pantograph and overhead line system. Since the frequency of arcing happens can reflect the contact-loss rate between pantograph and catenary system, the qualitative determination of arcing plays a more and more important role in this professional field. Detection system based on ultraviolet ray in sunlight blind region can detect time, location and amplitude of arcing. To design a reasonable optical system can collect optical signal maximally of a feeble ultraviolet ray of arcing and it is useful to increase the detection accuracy. Photon number collecting by fiber bundle of optical gather system on the top of the train is estimated when it is installed 3 m distance from the contact point between pantograph and contact line. And the image spot size is simulated in this paper. The results indicate that sizes of image spots are similar to the airy spots, so the light energy lost can be neglected when coupling. The parameters designed for optical system in this paper meet the requirement of photon acquisition.