Effectiveness of blowing for improving the high-speed trains aerodynamics

Abstract

The promising method of drag reduction with the use of micro-blowing through the streamlined surface has been proposed for its use to the external surface of high-speed train. The advantages of high-speed train as an object of micro-blowing application are introduced. The corresponding RANS-based mathematical model is elaborated, and the computations of the external flow around a long train body are performed. Predictions of the turbulent boundary layer over penetrable surface with different modes of micro-blowing have been presented and analyzed. The developed modifications of mathematical model of turbulence have been used to take into account the micro-blowing influence in the inner region of turbulent boundary layer. The obtained results of parametric analysis of drag reduction depending on the area of permeable sections, intensity of micro-blowing, and high-speed train length have been analyzed. In particular, the dependence between drag reduction effect and length of train body with realized micro-blowing as well as its intensity is established. Realization of micro-blowing with blowing velocity just 0.25 % of train speed (V = 100 m/s) on the 70 % of the streamlined surface area for just one train carriage (L = 25 m) allows one to reduce the aerodynamic drag (including the most actual friction and head-tail pressure components) of the whole train (L = 200 m) by about 5.25 %, so in case of micro-blowing realization on all its 8 carriages, the train’s aerodynamic drag can be reduced approximately by 42 %.