The overhead contact line geometry plays a significantly role for trouble-free operation. It also impacts the progression of wear. The non-contact, radar-based measuring system records the horizontal and vertical positions of up to four wires at the same time. They are referenced to the track centreline and the top of rail. In combination with the automatic pole detection, the system enables analysing the contact wire position and a pole-related location synchronization.
The pantograph simulates the driving characteristics of a locomotive, thus the measurement of the overhead contact line is performed under realistic conditions. The sensors also measure the dynamic interaction of contact wire and pantograph. This makes it possible to determine when the pantograph lifts off of the contact wire.
The overhead contact line measuring system is used to measure the residual thickness of the contact wires to identify weak points and material fatigue at an early stage. It consists of line scan cameras and a LED lighting system. The system measures the sliding surface in relation to the diameter. These values are then used to calculate the residual thickness.
Cameras mounted to the vehicle roof provide high-resolution images of the overhead contact line components. The image data is synchronized with the other systems, thus providing a holistic information package for more planning reliability. The number of cameras and their image frames can be chosen according to the customer-specific requirements.
