Analysis and Correction of a Pantograph Location Method Based on Current Information of Traction Network

To address the power interruption and the speed loss caused by neutral sections in AC electrified railway, many ground-charged auto-passing neutral section devices have been proposed recently. For these devices, the accurate positioning of trains is necessary and important. An automatic pantograph location technique based on voltage and current signals is analyzed ideally in our preceding research. However, according to the experimental data in practical railway, the positioning accuracy may be seriously affected by the actual configuration of catenaries and feeders. It is reported in this paper that the circulating current in the neutral section loop is the cause to induce the above issue. Thus, the pantograph location method based on the current information of traction network is deeply analyzed, and a mathematical model with consideration of mutual inductance is built, which can explain the mechanism of the circulating current. Furthermore, an adaptive correction method based on experimental tests is proposed to ensure the positioning accuracy. Through the ground-charged auto-passing neutral section device commissioned in Shenshuo heavy-haul railway in China, the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the effectiveness of the proposed correction method are verified. This paper provides an important guideline for the application of this pantograph location method.