Impact of Insulating Horns on the Electrical Performance of Train Pantographs

The use of insulating horns in pantograph design has been investigated. This paper reports on partial discharge measurements undertaken to establish whether consideration of pre-breakdown phenomena is required when designing a pantograph that would facilitate shorter withstand distances between overhead line equipment and earthed infrastructure. Obtained results indicate that although insulating horns reduce withstand distance, that without further modification to the pantograph design, there is a net increase in partial discharge magnitudes