The dependence of the brake disc aerodynamic drag on the rolling stock motion speed

Abstract

For high-speed trains, the issue of the effectiveness of braking systems, as well as the aerodynamic moment of resistance which arises when braking with a disc brake and leads to a decrease in the traction power of the train, is urgent. The article discusses the amount of aerodynamic losses that can be caused by brake discs. The aerodynamic drag of various ventilated disc designs as well as a solid disc has been evaluated. By analyzing the described measurement and simulation data, the dependences of aerodynamic losses on the rotational and linear speed of the rolling stock are derived for different disk designs, namely, for radial vane, tangential vane, combined and solid discs. An example of calculating the amount of ventilation losses for different train formations is shown.