Optical Fiber Sensors to Measure Collector Performance in the Pantograph-Catenary Interaction

Optical fiber sensors are proposed to detect static and dynamic collector strain for high-speed railway pantograph achieving electromagnetic immunity, nonelectrically conducting and small size. The implemented scheme based on a Michelson’s interferometer with a 3x3 coupler allows local strain measurement insensitive to temperature variations with high reliability guaranteed by the employment of standard 1550 nm optical communications components. By a test rig to experimentally simulate the pantograph-catenary contact-force the sensor performance is compared with typical electric measurement.