AUTOMATED MEASURING OF THE THICKNESS OF CATENARY CONTACT WIRES

AUTOMATISATION DE LA MESURE DE L'EPAISSEUR DU FIL DE CONTACT DES CATENAIRES

Various systems have already been proposed for measuring in an automatic and continuous manner the thickness, that is to say the wear, of the contact wire. They had various drawbacks: speed too slow, errors or interruptions in the measurements, reading head in contact with the wire and therefore under current. The device described in the article overcomes these difficulties: measurements are taken from a distance by illuminating the wire contact surface and obtaining a picture on a series of photodiodes; the signal is processed and recorded. A prototype has taken measurements at 50 km/h on the straight and on curves with a radius of over 1,500 m to an accuracy of 0.4 mm of the value of wire thickness remaining. The operational device now being built will enable masurements to be taken at 70 km/h on the straight and 50 km/h on curves with a radius of more than 400 m. Examples of the recordings obtained are given.

• Corporate Authors:

  Societe Nationale des Chemins de Fer Francais

  92 rue Bonaparte
  75 Paris 6e,   France 
• Authors:
  • MATHIEU, H
  • Dandonneau, J M
  • Rouan, G
• Publication Date: 1977-5

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 284-288
• Serial:
  • REVUE GENERALE DES CHEMINS DE FER

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Catenaries (Railroads); Contact wire; Inspection cars; Measuring instruments; Wear
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00163232
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Revue Generale des Chemins de Fer
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 13 1977 12:00AM