Simulation of the pantograph-catenary dynamic interaction has now become a useful tool for designing and optimizing the system. In order to perform accurate simulations, including system non-linearities, the Finite Element Method is commonly employed combined with a time integration scheme, even though the computational time required may be longer than with the use of other simpler approaches. In this paper we propose a two-stage methodology (Offline/Online) which notably reduces the computational cost without any loss in accuracy and makes it possible to successfully carry out very efficient optimizations or even Hardware in the Loop simulations with real-time requirements.

The quality of current collection becomes a limiting factor when the aim is to increase the speed of the present railway systems. In this work an attempt is made to improve current collection quality optimising catenary geometry by means of a Genetic Algorithm. As dropper lengths and dropper spacing are thought to be highly influential parameters they were chosen as the optimisation variables. The results obtained show that a Genetic Algorithm can be used to optimise catenary geometry to improve current collection quality measured in terms of the standard deviation of the contact force. Furthermore, it is highlighted that apart from the usual pre-sag, other geometric parameters should also be taken into account when designing railway catenaries.

Stochastic Monte Carlo simulations of the pantograph-catenary dynamic interaction to allow for uncertainties introduced during catenary installation. Vehicle System Dynamics. 57(4):471-492.

The computational cost required to simulate the pantograph-catenary dynamic interaction can be a limiting factor in certain applications. Specifically, for Hardwarein-the-Loop (HIL) simulations, real-time capabilities of the software are imperative.In this paper a combination of a modal coordinate approach with an offline/online strategy to build a very efficient simulation strategy is proposed. This novel approach preserves the accuracy of the results, compared with those obtained by classical finite element strategies. Furthermore, a procedure to define and validate a criterion for a priori truncation of the modal basis and an analysis of the effect of explicit treatment of the interaction force are also presented. The results show that the method proposed could be used to perform pantograph HIL tests.

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