A monitoring system for an electric vehicle that draws current from a conductor by means of a current collector (3, 7) that contacts a conductor (13) in operation of the vehicle, the system comprising: a plurality of sensor modules distributed at spaced intervals throughout the current collector, wherein each sensor module comprises a plurality of FBG (Fibre Bragg Grating) sensors orientated so as to be at least generally co-planar with a surface of the current collector that conducts the conductor in operation of the vehicle, the sensors of each said module being arranged in a geometric pattern that compensates for temperature induced wavelength changes in the FBG sensors of each module; an optical source (15) for illuminating each said sensor module; means (19) for optically coupling said optical source to each said sensor module; and an optical signal interpretation module (17) configured to receive optical signals from each said sensor module via said optical coupling means, said optical signals being generated by said sensor modules in response to illumination of said sensor modules by said optical source, said interpretation module being configured to capable of determining from said optical signals a temperature-independent strain measurement for each said sensor module.

The invention relates to a contact unit and to a method for steering electric arcs on a contact unit, in particular for supplying vehicles with power via an overhead wire (20), the contact unit comprising a sliding contact device (19), the sliding contact device having a contact strip support (21) and a contact strip (22) disposed thereon, the contact unit having a steering device (24) for electric arcs (25) which is disposed on the contact unit, the steering device being provided with a magnet (30).

The present disclosure relates to a novel high-performance repairable sliding plate of a pantograph of an electric locomotive and a manufacturing method thereof. The sliding plate includes a monometallic substrate and a conductive, wear-resistant, anticorrosion and self-lubricating coating integrated with the substrate. The coating is formed by plasma spraying CuTiO.sub.2 core-shell composite powder on the monometallic substrate directly, and includes the following components by mass percent: 60-70% of Ti.sub.4O.sub.7, 15-25% of Cu, 10-15% of Ti.sub.xO.sub.2x-1 and 5-10% of TiO.sub.2, where 5x10. The multifunctional composite coating is the working layer of the sliding plate of the present disclosure, and the damage of the coating can be repaired by plasma spraying with the composite powder, thereby recovering dimensional accuracy and service performance.

A system for detecting a state of a current collector of an electrically driven vehicle includes a video camera device for digitally recording images of the current collector and an image-evaluating device for the data evaluation of the image recordings. The current collector has optically detectable markings, the position and/or shape and/or surface area and/or color of which can be detected by the image-evaluating device in an automated manner. A system that makes the automatic state detection faster and more reliable is thereby provided.

A current collector for a rail vehicle intended for international transport includes a support bringing two contact strips into electrically conductive contact with a contact wire on the roof of the rail vehicle. Each contact strip has a first length and a contact strip extension at each end. Each contact strip extension is rotatably mounted and connected to a respective end of the contact strip. In a first position the contact strip extensions are hinged inwards, such that a resulting total length of the contact strip with the associated contact strip extensions corresponds to the first length of the contact strip. In a second position, the contact strip extensions are hinged outwards, such that the resulting total length of the contact strip with the associated contact strip extensions corresponds to a second length of the contact strip which is greater than the first length.

A drive system for raising or lowering a sliding piece of a current collector for rail vehicles. The sliding piece is disposed on a positioning device of the current collector, and the sliding piece is configured to be brought into contact with an overhead line using contact pressure. The drive system includes a bellows drive which is actuated by compressed air to actuate the positioning device, and a pneumatic control unit having a control valve for supplying or withdrawing compressed air to/from the bellows drive. The drive system includes a detection line and a lowering valve for venting the bellows drive when pressure drops in the detection line, the lowering valve being a 3/2-way valve disposed in a pneumatic supply line between the control valve and the bellows drive.