The pantograph–catenary system is responsible to provide an uninterrupted energy supply to power electric traction railway vehicles. The analysis of the dynamic behaviour of the catenary and pantograph, as well as its interaction, has been the objective of active research to improve energy collection quality. This work proposes an approach for the fully three-dimensional dynamic analysis of pantograph–catenary interaction in general railway tracks including curves. The catenary model and the trajectory of the pantograph base are defined with respect to the track geometry considering the conventional definition used by the rail industry, i.e. the track curvature, cross-level and vertical position. The pantograph is modelled using a multibody formulation being its base motion constrained to follow the generalised trajectory from the railway vehicle roof. The finite element method is used to model the catenary. A co-simulation procedure is set to establish the coupled dynamics of the two systems. In order to demonstrate the methodology, setup models for curved catenaries, analyse modelling implications and highlight applicability, realistic case studies of pantograph–catenary interaction in high-speed rail operations are presented and discussed. In the process, significant differences are found in the dynamic response of the catenary in curved and straight tracks.

The pantograph–catenary dynamic interaction analysis program (PantoCat) addresses the need for a dynamic analysis code able to analyse models of the complete overhead energy collecting systems that include all mechanical details of the pantographs and the complete topology and structural details of the catenary. PantoCat is a code based on the finite element method, for the catenary, and multibody dynamics methods, for the pantograph, integrated via a co-simulation procedure. A contact model based on a penalty formulation is selected to represent the pantograph–catenary interaction. PantoCat enables models of catenaries with multiple sections, including their overlap, the operation of multiple pantographs and the use of any complex loading of the catenary or pantograph mechanical elements including aerodynamic effects. The models of the pantograph and catenary are fully spatial being simulated in tangential or curved tracks, with or without irregularities and perturbations. User-friendly interfaces facilitate the construction of the models while the post-processing facilities provide all quantities of interest of the system response according to the norms and industrial requirements.