Railway Applications — Current collection systems — Validation of simulation of the dynamic interaction between pantograph and overhead contact line

Scope

Defines requirements for validating simulation tools that model the dynamic pantograph-overhead contact line interaction, by comparison against line measurements made per EN 50317. Validated simulation under this standard is accepted in TSI Energy conformity assessment of OCL designs, completing the EN 50367/50317/50318 current-collection compatibility set.

EN 50318 defines the requirements for validating simulation tools used to model the dynamic interaction between a pantograph and the overhead contact line, specifying how simulation results must be compared against physical line measurements taken in accordance with EN 50317 before the simulation tool can be considered validated for a given application. Validated simulation, rather than exhaustive physical testing of every pantograph-OCL combination, is accepted as conformity evidence under the energy subsystem TSI for assessing new overhead contact line designs, reducing the need for costly line trials for every configuration. Overhead contact line designers and simulation software developers use the standard to establish and document the accuracy of their simulation tools before relying on simulated results in a design or authorisation submission. It completes, together with EN 50317 and EN 50367, the EN 50317/50318/50367 current-collection compatibility set that governs pantograph-OCL interaction across measurement, simulation and interface-compatibility criteria. The current edition in force is EN 50318:2018+A1:2022.