Catenaries are large cable structures which transmit electric current to trains through sliding contact with a pantograph. The finite element method is widely used to model this dynamic interaction problem and obtain the contact force between the pantograph and the catenary. As an alternative, analytical models can also be used to study catenary dynamics, although they require certain simplifications of the features considered in numerical models. In this paper, an analytical model composed of an infinite string and a visco-elastic support is introduced and enhanced by considering a Kelvin-Voigt damping model and the initial height of the contact wire. Considering the finite element (FE) model as a reference, the analytical model parameters are properly adjusted through static and wave propagation analyses to achieve similar behaviour in both the analytical and the FE models. To check the performance of the proposed model, the steady-state response of the pantograph–catenary coupled system is calculated and compared with the results of the FE model. Finally, the analytical model is used to analyse the interference phenomenon produced during two-pantograph operation.

悬链线是大型电缆结构，通过与受电弓的滑动接触将电流传输到列车。有限元法被广泛用于模拟这种动态相互作用问题并获得受电弓和接触网之间的接触力。作为替代方案，分析模型也可用于研究悬链线动力学，尽管它们需要对数值模型中考虑的特征进行某些简化。在本文中，通过考虑Kelvin-Voigt阻尼模型和接触线的初始高度，引入并增强了由无限弦和粘弹性支撑组成的解析模型。以有限元（FE）模型为参考，分析模型参数通过静态和波传播分析进行适当调整，以在分析模型和有限元模型中实现相似的行为。为了检查所提出模型的性能，计算了受电弓-悬链线耦合系统的稳态响应，并与有限元模型的结果进行了比较。最后利用解析模型分析了两台受电弓运行过程中产生的干扰现象。