Aerodynamics of a two-dimensional bluff body with the cross-section of a train

Abstract

Experiments on the aerodynamics of a two-dimensional bluff body simplified from a China high-speed train in crosswinds were carried out in a wind tunnel. Effects of wind angle of attack α varying in [−20°, 20°] were investigated at a moderate Reynolds number Re = 9.35 × 104 (based on the height of the model). Four typical behaviors of aerodynamics were identified. These behaviors are attributed to the flow structure around the upper and lower halves of the model changing from full to intermittent reattachment, and to full separation with a variation in α. An alternate transition phenomenon, characterized by an alteration between large- and small-amplitude aerodynamic fluctuations, was detected. The frequency of this alteration is about 1/10 of the predominant vortex shedding. In the intervals of the large-amplitude behavior, aerodynamic forces fluctuate periodically with a strong span-wise coherence, which are caused by the anti-symmetric vortex shedding along the stream-wise direction. On the contrary, the aerodynamic forces fluctuating at small amplitudes correspond to a weak span-wise coherence, which are ascribed to the symmetric vortex shedding from the upper and lower halves of the model. Generally, the mean amplitude of the large-amplitude mode is 3 times larger than that of the small one. Finally, the effects of Reynolds number were examined within Re = [9.35 × 104, 2.49 × 105]. Strong Reynolds number dependence was observed on the model with two rounded upper corners.

Aerodynamic characteristics of trains on a viaduct with non-uniform cross-section under crosswinds by wind tunnel tests

“…The mean side force, lift and overturning moment coefficients, represented by C S , C L , and C M , respectively, of train in the wind axis can be calculated according to the following formulas (Li et al, 2020):…”