Author(s)

T Hamada, A Suzuki & T Shimada

Abstract

Feeder cables are additionally installed as a standard on DC railway lines in Japan to complement the electric characteristics of contact wires. A number of feeder messenger catenary systems with fewer parts are now adopted to integrate the functions of feeder cables and messengers. We have devised \“an aluminum case overhead conductor line” which is a catenary with non-tension contact wires aiming at the development of a feeder messenger catenary system with a structure to prevent breaking of contact wires. First, we studied the optimal form of aluminum case and performed computer simulation to examine the current collecting characteristics of this catenary. We actually constructed a catenary of this type on the current collection testing equipment of RTRI and performed pantograph running tests to confirm that it had satisfactory current collecting characteristics up to the speed of 160 km/h.

Keywords