Abstract
This paper evaluates the railway catenary's wind deflection under crosswind based on wind tunnel experiments and a nonlinear finite element model. A catenary model is constructed based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation to describe the geometrical nonlinearity of the system. The aerodynamic forces acting on the catenary are derived according to the quasi-steady theory, and the aerodynamic coefficients are obtained by wind tunnel experiments. A procedure to generate the three-dimensional fluctuating wind field along the catenary is presented. The extreme value of the wind deflection is estimated based on a Poisson approximation of the extreme value distribution. The numerical accuracy is validated by wind tunnel experimental results of an aeroelastic catenary. The response, statistics, frequency characteristics and extreme value of the contact wire's wind deflection are investigated through numerical simulations. The analysis results indicate that the maximum wind deflection will exceed the safety limit for the analysed catenary with a turbulence intensity of more than 15%. The adjustment of some critical parameters of the catenary system can reduce the maximum wind deflection.
Highlights
3) In current industry, the maximum wind deflection of the contact wire is estimated by an empirical equation [34], which should be compared with finite element method (FEM) results
When the turbulence intensity is higher than 20%, the most extreme values are no longer within the safety limit for the analysed catenary
This paper presented an assessment of the catenary’s wind deflection based on wind tunnel experiments and nonlinear finite element models
Summary
The electric current transmits from the contact wire to the engine through the pantograph mounted on the train roof. A safe and stable sliding contact between the pantograph and catenary is of great importance for enabling fast trains without traffic interruptions [1]. The catenary is a long-span and high-flexibility structure that is susceptible to wind loads. The wind load may cause a large deflection of the contact wire and affect reliable contact with pantograph collectors
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