Third Paper: Calculating the Behaviour of an Overhead Catenary System for Railway Electrification

Abstract

An exploratory investigation into the vertical displacement of catenary contact systems under load, a problem usually regarded as mathematically intractable, has been carried out using relaxation methods. Solutions for typical simple, stitched, and compound catenary systems under static loading are presented and compared. Solutions for the simple catenary system under conditions of dynamic loading are also given for train speeds of 30, 60, and 90 mile/h, and, by treating the problem without including the effect of friction, as yet unknown, it is shown that this factor alone prevents severe oscillation of the system above about 62 mile/h. The method of calculation adopted is intended to serve as a basis for the more rapid solution of such problems by electronic computer.