Wear analysis and prediction of rigid catenary contact wire and pantograph strip for railway system

With the rapid development of urban rail transit, the operation companies are plagued by the wear issue of metro pantograph-catenary (PAC) system in the last decades. Abnormal wear not only increases the maintenance cost but also seriously affects the stability and safety of the PAC system. In this paper, the models of calculating the wear rate are proposed in the first place, which can be used to approximately predict the wear of the contact wire (CW) and the pantograph strip (PS). After that, the wear distribution on the rigid catenary wire between two adjacent subway stations is analyzed. In addition, the layout of the CW is investigated and a calculation method for estimating and predicting the wear profile on the PS is proposed. The maintenance data recorded by GuangZhou Metro Line 2 and Beijing Metro Line 6 are introduced to validate the proposed models and prediction methods. It shows that the predicted results are in good consistency with the practical wear on the CW and also on the PS. With the help of the wear distribution on the CW, it provides with a reference to take effective measures to extend the service life of the CW and make a differentiated maintenance strategy. In the light of the proposed wear prediction method for PS, a more optimal layout of the CW can be designed to reduce the formation of deep grooves on the PS. •The two proposed models can be used for the wear rate calculation of rigid contact wire and pantograph strip in metro railway system.•The wear distribution on the contact wire between two adjacent subway stations is approximately estimated, which can serve as a reference for the practical maintenance schedule.•Taking the actual layout of the contact wire into consideration, the wear profile on the pantograph strip is investigated and a calculation method for estimating and predicting the wear profile on the pantograph strip is proposed.