AACE-AFM-134: Aerodynamic modelling of a high-speed train/bridge system

The aerodynamics of high-speed trains is of great importance as the train speed increases and for railways near strait/coast, and in mountainous areas when trains operate in strong winds. The combined effects of unsteady winds and local complex topography on aerodynamics of the train and bridge system could be catastrophic, therefore analysing the aerodynamic characteristics of the train-bridge system is of great importance for safety and riding comfort.

Existing studies for train-bridge systems are usually performed under steady or quasi-steady conditions, which do not reflect the realistic winds with gusts and weather-scale variations. Ignoring such information in wind tunnel and CFD modelling may produce a significantly biased estimation, e.g. for analysing wind-induced train overturning accidents.

The project aims to model numerically the high-speed train/bridge system and to investigate its aerodynamics behaviour under realistic wind conditions, through computational fluid dynamics. Results will be compared and validated with experimental data performed within the same project from project partners. This work will provide in-depth understanding and establish technology basis for improving aerodynamic behaviour and operation safety for high-speed trains in complex wind conditions, and aims to develop a prediction model for the train aerodynamic load prediction for such couple systems.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Zhiwei Hu, Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics research group, Email: [Email Address Removed] Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 3961.