Abstract
This study examined a new measurement system able to detect the occurrence of arcing between the pantograph and the overhead contact line. It uses photomultiplier tubes in order to measure the duration of the ultraviolet emission caused by electrical arcing. The measurement equipment was installed on board an ETR500, a high-speed train of Italian Railways, with a double pantograph. A software package was developed in the LabWindows/CVI environment for recording and elaborating data acquired from the measurement chain. This paper presents the software for acquiring and processing data in order to validate the phototube sensor and to evaluate the status of the pantograph-catenary interactions, along with experimental results.
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