Abstract
High-speed trains are one of the most desirable and environmentally friendly transportation modes, and high-speed rail has been widely implemented in European and Asian countries in order to transport vast quantities of people and commodities rapidly. However, when a high-speed train enters a tunnel, aerodynamic resistance is generated suddenly, which results in higher traction power demand for trains operating in tunnels. It is essential to incorporate pressure-relief systems in tunnels to reduce the aerodynamic resistance caused by passage of a high-speed train. Pressure-relief ducts and vertical shafts are the most commonly used pressure-relief measures in tunnels. The effect of pressure-relief ducts to alleviate the aerodynamic resistance and reduce traction power demand of high-speed trains was thus investigated by means of one-dimensional numerical simulations of various case studies.
Highlights
The demand for fast and secure travel has produced a need for the planning and construction of underground infrastructure for public transport such as high-speed rail
Aerodynamic resistance increases dramatically with an increase in train speed (Gawthorpe, 1978), with aerodynamic drag accounting for 85% of the total resistance when train speed increases to 300 km/h (Qun-Zhan, 2010)
Using quasi-one-dimensional (1D) numerical simulations, Mossi and Sibilla (2002) analysed the effects of pressurerelief ducts installed every 5 km between two tunnels under partial vacuum. Their results showed that pressure-relief ducts decrease both the peak pressure resistance in tunnels and the traction power required for train operation
Summary
The demand for fast and secure travel has produced a need for the planning and construction of underground infrastructure for public transport such as high-speed rail. In order to overcome the extreme aerodynamic conditions in long tunnels, various air pressure-relief measures have been developed These include enlargement of the free cross-sectional area of a tunnel, installation of a vertical shaft, a crossover tunnel in the middle of twin-tube tunnels, pressurerelief ducts connecting twin tubes and so on. Using quasi-one-dimensional (1D) numerical simulations, Mossi and Sibilla (2002) analysed the effects of pressurerelief ducts installed every 5 km between two tunnels under partial vacuum Their results showed that pressure-relief ducts decrease both the peak pressure resistance in tunnels and the traction power required for train operation. Detailed specifications of the pressurerelief system, such as the free cross-sectional area and the distance between ducts, were analysed according to the results of the numerical simulations and traction power demands were calculated for a train passing through a tunnel at speeds of 300 km/h and 350 km/h
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