Detection Technology for Catenary Stagger Value Based on Acceleration Signals

［Objective］ To address the inefficiency and high operational requirements of existing detection methods for catenary stagger value in electrified railways, special research on catenary stagger value detection method is conducted. ［Method］ A detection method combining continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and random forest (RF) is proposed to effectively detect catenary stagger value across different speed levels. CWT is applied to the blowing acceleration signals at both ends of the pantograph contact strip, enabling time-frequency decomposition to reveal the distribution of time-domain signals across various frequency intervals. The power within relevant frequency ranges is calculated, and an indicator correlated with the trend of stagger values is developed based on these power values. The variation of this indicator is analyzed under different conditions in terms of pantograph head mass, pantograph head suspension stiffness, height, and operating speed, revealing that operating speed has a significant impact. Subsequently, the computed indicator and operating speed are used as input features to train, test, and validate an RF model. ［Result & Conclusion］ The proposed method accurately detects catenary stagger values across various operating speeds, achieving a root mean square error as low as 5.84, outperforming other existing algorithms. In brief, the study effectively enhances the measurement efficiency of catenary stagger values, avoiding the limitations imposed by previous methods on operational environmental conditions, and provides a novel approach for catenary stagger value detection.