A three dimensional model for the mechanical study of railway catenaries

Abstract

The increasing demands for rail units, requiring among other aspects optimal and accurate conditions to mount the catenary, needs a rigorous mechanical calculation where the development of the corresponding computer software is essential in order to solve the various problems in a satisfactory manner. Most of the work done at the moment are based on two-dimensional models, but that model is not quite realistic because the catenary is a structural system, consisting of wires arranged in a zigzag, considering different types of loading as the weight of the wires or the wind effect, acting such charges in different directions. The development of an advanced model in three dimensions can be of great help to achieve more realistic results. This paper is an introduction to the study of mechanical railway catenary based on a three-dimensional model, the method presented here allows different types of static problems to be solved, such as the calculation of the stiffness of the line and the calculation of the length of the droppers.