Robust state estimation for double pantographs with random missing measurements in high-speed railway

Active control of pantograph could be performed to decrease the fluctuation in pantograph-catenary contact force (PCCF) in high-speed railway. However, it is difficult to obtain the states of the pantograph when state feedback control is implemented. And the measurements may randomly miss due to the severe operation condition of the pantograph-catenary system (PCS). To address this issue, a robust recursive state estimation method (RRSEM) is presented is this paper. First, a nonlinear model of double-pantograph-catenary system (DPCS) is established by means of the finite element method. Then, the RRSEM is introduced to estimate the pantograph states based on the dynamic model. The simulation results indicate that the proposed RRSEM is able to accurately estimate the states of the leading pantograph (LP) and the trailing pantograph (TP).