Detached-eddy simulation of flow around high-speed train on a bridge under cross winds

Abstract

In order to describe an investigation of the flow around high-speed train on a bridge under cross winds using detached-eddy simulation (DES), a 1/8th scale model of a three-car high-speed train and a typical bridge model are employed, Numerical wind tunnel technology based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used, and the CFD models are set as stationary models. The Reynolds number of the flow, based on the inflow velocity and the height of the vehicle, is 1.9×106. The computations are conducted under three cases, train on the windward track on the bridge (WWC), train on the leeward track on the bridge (LWC) and train on the flat ground (FGC). Commercial software FLUENT is used and the mesh sensitivity research is carried out by three different grids: coarse, medium and fine. Results show that compared with FGC case, the side force coefficients of the head cars for the WWC and LWC cases increases by 14% and 29%, respectively; the coefficients of middle cars for the WWC and LWC increase by 32% and 10%, respectively; and that of the tail car increases by 45% for the WWC whereas decreases by 2% for the LWC case. The most notable thing is that the side force and the rolling moment of the head car are greater for the LWC, while the side force and the rolling moment of the middle car and the tail car are greater for the WWC. Comparing the velocity profiles at different locations, the flow is significantly influenced by the bridge-train system when the air is close to it. For the three cases (WWC, LWC and FGC), the pressure on the windward side of train is mostly positive while that of the leeward side is negative. The discrepancy of train’s aerodynamic force is due to the different surface area of positive pressure and negative pressure zone. Many vortices are born on the leeward edge of the roofs. Theses vortices develop downstream, detach and dissipate into the wake region. The eddies develop irregularly, leading to a noticeably turbulent flow at leeward side of train.