Effect of ice-covered catenary on dynamic interactions of pantograph-catenary system and limited speed of trains

As part of the pantograph-catenary system, a catenary covered with ice can affect the current collected by pantograph sliding, posing a threat to the normal operation of the train. At the icing conditions, the speed reduction method is usually adopted in practical engineering to ensure the stable energy transfer quality of the pantograph-catenary system, while its reduction ranges remain unclear. To aim at providing speed recommendations for safe train operation under various ice conditions in practical engineering, the model of the ice-covered pantograph-catenary system is established in this work and the effect of ice covering on both the static characteristics of the catenary and the dynamic interaction of the system are investigated. The results indicate ice increases the stiffness and sag of the contact wire, resulting in a significant increase in elastic inhomogeneity across the span of the contact wire. As ice thickness and train speed increase, there is an increase in the vibration amplitude of support point and an increase in the fluctuation range of the contact force. It is suggested that the operational speeds of trains should be less than 350 km/h, 330 km/h, 280 km/h, and 260 km/h, corresponding to the ice thicknesses of 4 mm, 8 mm, 12 mm, and 16 mm, respectively.