Siemens Mobility has partnered with PantoSystem for a pantograph monitoring solution, suitable for electrified trucks, on Germany’s forthcoming e-highway network.
In 2017, Siemens was commissioned €15m (£12.9m) by the German state of Hesse to build a 10km (6.2-mile) overhead contact line for electrified road freight transport on a motorway.
Siemens has now chosen PantoSystems’ Pantoinspect sensor system to help detect if the pantograph is in an operating state.
The solution also checks if wear on the carbon strips is within an acceptable range and ensures the pantograph has no other mechanical deformations that could potentially damage the catenary system.
Werner Pfliegl, product management e-highway, Siemens Mobility, said: “PantoInspect was chosen by the e-highway team because the company has the advanced technical expertise and many years of proven track record in supplying some of the major infrastructure owners and rail operators in the global railway industry.
“The PantoSystem is very beneficial for the e-highway project as it is an all-in-one system that combines both a camera system and a laser system.”
Siemens evaluated the Pantoinspect sensor system at the e-highway test facility in Groß-Dölln. It said the combination of camera and laser scanner provides the necessary basic requirements for checking e-highway pantographs.
With the results of the laser scanner, the geometric dimensions of the pantograph can be verified and compared with the limit values stored in the backend monitoring system.
Critical wear and tear, as well as geometrical deviations, can be detected and transmitted to the operation and control centre.
If necessary, an operator can use the system’s high-resolution camera images to verify a detected deviation and inform the user that his pantograph is damaged, and use of the overhead line is no longer permitted.
As well as helping to prevent an installed technical base from any type of damage, the PantoSystem could be used to evaluate the condition of the catenary system and for maintenance purposes, said Siemens.
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