Study of Snow Accumulation on a High-Speed Train’s Bogies Based on the Discrete Phase Model

Abstract

During winters, the high-speed train travels in the northern of China is struck by to the snow, ice and coldness, massive snow accumulating on the bogies. To understand the cause of snow packing on the high-speed train’s bogies clearly, the 3-D unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with a RNG double-equations turbulence model and a DPM discrete phase model were used to investigate the flow field carried snow particles in a single high-speed train bogie region and monitor the movement of snow particles. And, the numerical simulation was verified by the wind tunnel test. The results show that when air flows into the region, the airflow will rise and impact on the wheels, brakes, electromotors and other parts of bogie regions. The snow particles will follow the air, while the air direction changes sharply the particles will keep the movement due to the inertia. Afterwards, the snow packs on the bogie. In front of the bogies the streamlines of the air and the particle path lines are basically the same. However, due to the inertia of mass particles, the following characteristics of the snow particles with the air are not obvious in the bogie leeward side. Different structures of the end plates will affect the snow accumulation in the bogie regions.