Electrical Characteristics of Pantograph Arcs in DC Railways: Infrastructure Influence

Electric arcs are an unavoidable by-product of current collection by sliding contact in electrified
transportation systems. Electric arcs are transient phenomena with implications for PQ measurements and wearing estimation and prevention of the sliding contact and catenary. Besides being heavily influenced by mechanical characteristics and material properties, their electrical characterization encompasses spectral properties and the influence of train and traction line
circuits and relative position of infrastructure elements. This paper identifies the influence of such electrical and system characteristics onto the spectral signature of electric arcs for DC railways.