Numerical Study on Reduction in Aerodynamic Drag and Noise of High-Speed Pantograph

Reducing the aerodynamic drag and noise levels of high-speed pantographs is important for promoting environmentally friendly,energy efficient and rapid advances in train technology.Using computational fluid dynamics theory and the K-FWH acoustic equation,a numerical simulation is conducted to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed pantographs.A component optimization method is proposed as a possible solution to the problemof aerodynamic drag and noise in high-speed pantographs.The results of the study indicate that the panhead,base and insulator are the main contributors to aerodynamic drag and noise in high-speed pantographs.Therefore,a gradual optimization process is implemented to improve the most significant components that cause aerodynamic drag and noise.By optimizing the cross-sectional shape of the strips and insulators,the drag and noise caused by airflow separation and vortex shedding can be reduced.The aerodynamic drag of insulator with circular cross section and strips with rectangular cross section is the largest.Ellipsifying insulators and optimizing the chamfer angle and height of the windward surface of the strips can improve the aerodynamic performance of the pantograph.In addition,the streamlined fairing attached to the base can eliminate the complex flow and shield the radiated noise.In contrast to the original pantograph design,the improved pantograph shows a 21.1%reduction in aerodynamic drag and a 1.65 dBA reduction in aerodynamic noise.

Influence of Anteroposterior Symmetrical Aero-Wings on the Aerodynamic Performance of High-Speed Train

The running stability of high-speed train is largely constrained by the wheel-rail coupling relationship,and the continuous wear between the wheel and rail surfaces will profoundly affect the dynamic performance of the train.In recent years,under the background of increasing train speed,some scientific researchers have proposed a new idea of using the lift force generated by the aerodynamic wings(aero-wing)installed on the roof to reduce the sprung load of the carriage in order to alleviate the wear and tear of the wheel and rail.Based on the bidirectional running characteristics of high-speed train,this paper proposes a scheme to apply aero-wings with anteroposterior symmetrical cross-sections on the roof of the train.After the verification of the wind tunnel experimental data,the relatively better airfoil section and extension formof anteroposterior symmetrical aero-wing is selected respectively in this paper,and the aero-wings are fixedly connected to the roof of the train through the mounting column to conduct aerodynamic simulation analysis.The research shows that:compared with the circular-arc and oval crosssections,this paper believes that the crescent cross-section can form greater aerodynamic lift force in a limited space.Considering factors such as aerodynamic parameters,ground effect,and manufacturing process,this paper proposes to adopt aero-wings with arc type extension form and connect them to the roof of the train through mounting columns with shuttle cross-section.When the roof of the train is covered with aero-wings and runs at high speed,the sprung load of the carriages can be effectively reduced.However,there are certain hidden dangers in the tail carriage due to the large amount of lift force,so,the intervention of the aero-wing lifting mechanism is required.At the same time,it is necessary to optimize the overall aerodynamic drag force reduction in the followup work.

Effect of Bogie Cavity End Wall Inclination on Flow Field and Aerodynamic Noise in the Bogie Region of High-Speed Trains

Combining the detached eddy simulation(DES)method and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings(FW-H)equation,the effect of bogie cavity end wall inclination on the flow field and aerodynamic noise in the bogie region is numerically studied.First,the simulation is conducted based on a simplified cavity-bogie model,including five cases with different inclination angles of the front and rear walls of the cavity.By comparing and analyzing the flow field and acoustic results of the five cases,the influence of the regularity and mechanism of the bogie cavity end wall inclination on the flow field and the aerodynamic noise of the bogie region are revealed.Then,the noise reduction strategy determined by the results of the simplified cavity-bogie model is applied to a three-car marshaling train model to verify its effectiveness when applied to the real train.The results reveal that the forward inclination of the cavity front wall enlarges the influence area of shear vortex structures formed at the leading edge of the cavity and intensifies the interaction between the vortex structures and the front wheelset,frontmotor,and front gearbox,resulting in the increase of the aerodynamic noise generated by the bogie itself.The backward inclination of the cavity rear wall is conducive to guiding the vortex structures flow out of the cavity and weakening the interaction between the shear vortex structures and the cavity rear wall,leading to the reduction of the aerodynamic noise generated by the bogie cavity.Inclining the rear end wall of the foremost bogie cavity of the head car is a feasible aerodynamic noise reduction measure for high-speed trains.

Numerical Simulations of Snow Accumulation in the Bogie Region of a Train Considering Snow Particle Rotation

To investigate the influence of snow particle rotational motion on the accumulation of snow in the bogie region of high-speed trains,an Euler‒Lagrange numerical approach is adopted.The study examines the effects of snow particle diameter and train speed on the ensuing dynamics.It is shown that considering snow particle rotational motion causes significant deviation in the particle trajectories with respect to non-rotating particles.Such a deviation increases with larger snow particle diameters and higher train speeds.The snow accumulation on the overall surface of the bogie increases,and the amount of snow on the vibration reduction device varies greatly.In certain conditions,the amount of accumulated snow can increase by several orders of magnitudes.

Numerical Study on the Effect of Vortex Generators on the Aerodynamic Drag of a High-Speed Train

A relatively high aerodynamic drag is an important factor that hinders the further acceleration of high-speed trains.Using the shear stress transport(SST)k-ωturbulence model,the effect of various vortex generator types on the aerodynamic characteristics of an ICE2(Inter-city Electricity)train has been investigated.The results indi-cate that the vortex generators with wider triangle,trapezoid,and micro-ramp arranged on the surface of the tail car can significantly change the distribution of surface pressure and affect the vorticity intensity in the wake.This alteration effectively reduces the resistance of the tail car.Meanwhile,the micro-ramp vortex generator with its convergent structure at the rear exhibits enhancedflow-guiding capabilities,resulting in a 15.4%reduction in the drag of the tail car.

Aerodynamic Analysis and Optimization of Pantograph Streamline Fairing for High-Speed Trains

A pantograph serves as a vital device for the collection of electricity in trains.However,its aerodynamic resistance can limit the train’s running speed.As installing fairings around the pantograph is known to effectively reduce the resistance,in this study,different fairing lengths are considered and the related aerodynamic performances of pantograph are assessed.In particular,this is accomplished through numerical simulations based on the k-ωShear Stress Transport(SST)two-equation turbulence model.The results indicate that the fairing diminishes the direct impact of high-speed airflow on the pantograph,thereby reducing its aerodynamic resistance.However,it also induces interferences in the flow field around the train,leading to variations in the aerodynamic resistance and lift of train components.It is shown that a maximum reduction of 56.52%in pantograph aerodynamic resistance and a peak decrease of 3.38%in total train aerodynamic resistance can be achieved.

Research Progress of Aerodynamic Multi-Objective Optimization on High-Speed Train Nose Shape

The aerodynamic optimization design of high-speed trains(HSTs)is crucial for energy conservation,environmental preservation,operational safety,and speeding up.This study aims to review the current state and progress of the aerodynamic multi-objective optimization of HSTs.First,the study explores the impact of train nose shape parameters on aerodynamic performance.The parameterization methods involved in the aerodynamic multiobjective optimization ofHSTs are summarized and classified as shape-based and disturbance-based parameterizationmethods.Meanwhile,the advantages and limitations of each parameterizationmethod,aswell as the applicable scope,are briefly discussed.In addition,the NSGA-II algorithm,particle swarm optimization algorithm,standard genetic algorithm,and other commonly used multi-objective optimization algorithms and the improvements in the field of aerodynamic optimization for HSTs are summarized.Second,this study investigates the aerodynamic multi-objective optimization technology for HSTs using the surrogate model,focusing on the Kriging surrogate models,neural network,and support vector regression.Moreover,the construction methods of surrogate models are summarized,and the influence of different sample infill criteria on the efficiency ofmulti-objective optimization is analyzed.Meanwhile,advanced aerodynamic optimization methods in the field of aircraft have been briefly introduced to guide research on the aerodynamic optimization of HSTs.Finally,based on the summary of the research progress of the aerodynamicmulti-objective optimization ofHSTs,future research directions are proposed,such as intelligent recognition technology of characteristic parameters,collaborative optimization of multiple operating environments,and sample infill criterion of the surrogate model.

Overview of Earth-Moon Transfer Trajectory Modeling and Design

TheMoon is the only celestial body that human beings have visited.The design of the Earth-Moon transfer orbits is a critical issue in lunar exploration missions.In the 21st century,new lunar missions including the construction of the lunar space station,the permanent lunar base,and the Earth-Moon transportation network have been proposed,requiring low-cost,expansive launch windows and a fixed arrival epoch for any launch date within the launch window.The low-energy and low-thrust transfers are promising strategies to satisfy the demands.This review provides a detailed landscape of Earth-Moon transfer trajectory design processes,from the traditional patched conic to the state-of-the-art low-energy and low-thrust methods.Essential mechanisms of the various utilized dynamic models and the characteristics of the different design methods are discussed in hopes of helping readers grasp thebasic overviewof the current Earth-Moon transfer orbitdesignmethods anda deep academic background is unnecessary for the context understanding.

Effect of RANS Turbulence Model on Aerodynamic Behavior of Trains in Crosswind

The numerical simulation based on Reynolds time-averaged equation is one of the approved methods to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of trains in crosswind.However,there are several turbulence models,trains may present different aerodynamic performances in crosswind using different turbulence models.In order to select the most suitable turbulence model,the inter-city express 2(ICE2)model is chosen as a research object,6 different turbulence models are used to simulate the flow characteristics,surface pressure and aerodynamic forces of the train in crosswind,respectively.6 turbulence models are the standard k-ε,Renormalization Group(RNG)k-ε,Realizable k-ε,Shear Stress Transport(SST)k-ω,standard k-ωand Spalart-Allmaras(SPA),respectively.The numerical results and the wind tunnel experimental data are compared.The results show that the most accurate model for predicting the surface pressure of the train is SST k-ω,followed by Realizable k-ε.Compared with the experimental result,the error of the side force coefficient obtained by SST k-ωand Realizable k-εturbulence model is less than 1%.The most accurate prediction for the lift force coefficient is achieved by SST k-ω,followed by RNG k-ε.By comparing 6 different turbulence models,the SST k-ωmodel is most suitable for the numerical simulation of the aerodynamic behavior of trains in crosswind.

Crosswind Stability Evaluation of High-Speed Train Using Different Wind Models

Different wind models are being used for the operational safety evaluation of a high-speed train exposed to crosswinds. However, the methodology for simulating natural wind is of substantial importance in the wind-train system, and different simplified forms of natural wind result in different levels of accuracy. The purpose of the research in this paper is to investigate the effects of different wind models on the operational safety evaluation of high-speed trains. First, three wind models, namely, steady wind model, gust wind model, and turbulent wind model, are constructed. Following this, the algorithms for computing the aerodynamic loads using the wind models are described. A multi-body dynamic model of a vehicle is then set up using the commercial software "Simpack" for investigating the dynamic behavior of a railway vehicle exposed to wind loads. The rollover risks corresponding to each wind model are evaluated by applying the definition of characteristic wind curves (CWC). The results indicate that the CWC computed using the gust wind model is marginally higher than that computed using the turbulent wind model;the difference is less than 1%. With regard to the steady wind model, the assurance coefficient substantially affects the final CWC. A reasonable agreement of CWC between the steady wind model and turbulent wind model can be obtained by applying an "appropriate value" of the assurance coefficient. This study included a systematic analysis of the operational safety evaluation results using different wind models;the analysis can serve as a reference basis for different engineering accuracy requirements.

BMP signaling in mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and bone formation

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF-β superfamily and have diverse functions during development and organogenesis. BMPs play a major role in skeletal development and bone formation, and disruptions in BMP signaling cause a variety of skeletal and extraskeletal anomalies. Several knockout models have provided insight into the mechanisms responsible for these phenotypes. Proper bone formation requires the differentiation of osteoblasts from mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) precursors, a process mediated in part by BMP signaling. Multiple BMPs, including BMP2, BMP6, BMP7 and BMP9, promote osteoblastic differentiation of MSCs both in vitro and in vivo. BMP9 is one of the most osteogenic BMPs, yet it is a poorly characterized member of the BMP family. Several studies demonstrate that the mechanisms controlling BMP9-mediated osteogenesis differ from other osteogenic BMPs, but little is known about these specific mechanisms. Several pathways critical to BMP9-mediated osteogenesis are also important in the differentiation of other cell lineages, including adipocytes and chondrocytes. BMP9 has also demonstrated translational promise in spinal fusion and bone fracture repair. This review will summarize our current knowledge of BMP-mediated osteogenesis, with a focus on BMP9, by presenting recently completed work which may help us to further elucidate these pathways.

Numerical Study on Aerodynamic Performance of High-Speed Pantograph with Double Strips

Pantograph is a critical component of the high-speed train.It collects power through contact with catenary,which significantly affects the running safety of the train.Pantograph with double collector strips is one common type.The aerodynamic performance of the collector strips may affect the current collection of the pantograph.In this study,the aerodynamic performance of the pantograph with double strips is investigated.The numerical results are consistent with the experimental ones.The error in the aerodynamic drag force of the pantograph between numerical and experimental results is less than 5%.Three different conditions of the strips are studied,including the front strip,the rear strip,and the double strips.Results show that the presence of the front strip will affect the lift force of the rear strip,and reduce the resistance of the rear strip under the opening condition.Meanwhile,the rear strip has few effects on the front strip under the opening operation condition.The law of the resistance for the interaction between two strips under the closing condition is similar to the opening one.

Influence of pantograph fixing position on aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed trains

To study the influence of the pantograph fixing position on aerodynamic characteristics of high-speed trains, the aerodynamic models of high-speed trains with eight cars were established based on the theory of com- putational fluid dynamics, and eight cases with pantographs fixed on different positions and in different operational orientations were considered. The pantographs were fixed on the front or the rear end of the first middle car or fixed on the front or the rear end of the last middle car. The external flow fields of the high-speed trains were numeri- cally simulated using the software STAR-CCM＋. The results show that the pantograph fixing position has little effect on the aerodynamic drag force of the head car and has a large effect on the aerodynamic drag force of the tail car. The influences of the pantograph fixing position on the aerodynamic lift forces of the head car, tail car and pan- tographs are obvious. Among the eight cases, considering the total aerodynamic drag force of the train and the aerodynamic lift force of the lifted pantograph, when the pantographs are fixed on the rear end of the last middle car and the lifted pantograph is in the knuckle-upstream ori- entation, the aerodynamic performance of the high-speed train is the best.

Optimization on the Crosswind Stability of Trains Using Neural Network Surrogate Model

Under the influence of crosswinds,the running safety of trains will decrease sharply,so it is necessary to optimize the suspension parameters of trains.This paper studies the dynamic performance of high-speed trains under cross-wind conditions,and optimizes the running safety of train.A computational fluid dynamics simulation was used to determine the aerodynamic loads and moments experienced by a train.A series of dynamic models of a train,with different dynamic parameters were constructed,and analyzed,with safety metrics for these being determined.Finally,a surrogate model was built and an optimization algorithm was used upon this surrogate model,to find the minimum possible values for:derailment coefficient,vertical wheel-rail contact force,wheel load reduction ratio,wheel lateral force and overturning coefficient.There were 9 design variables,all associated with the dynamic parameters of the bogie.When the train was running with the speed of 350 km/h,under a crosswind speed of 15 m/s,the benchmark dynamic model performed poorly.The derailment coefficient was 1.31.The vertical wheel-rail contact force was 133.30 kN.The wheel load reduction rate was 0.643.The wheel lateral force was 85.67 kN,and the overturning coefficient was 0.425.After optimization,under the same running conditions,the metrics of the train were 0.268,100.44 kN,0.474,34.36 kN,and 0.421,respectively.This paper show that by combining train aerodynamics,vehicle system dynamics and many-objective optimization theory,a train’s stability can be more comprehensively analyzed,with more safety metrics being considered.

Numerical simulation and optimization of aerodynamic uplift force of a high-speed pantograph

Aiming at the problem that aerodynamic uplift forces of the pantograph running in the knuckle-downstream and knuckle-upstream conditions are inconsistent,and their magnitudes do not satisfy the corresponding standard, the aerodynamic uplift forces of pantographs with baffles are numerically investigated, and an optimization method to determine the baffle angle is proposed. First, the error between the aerodynamic resistances of the pantograph obtained by numerical simulation and wind tunnel test is less than 5%, which indicates the accuracy of the numerical simulation method. Second, the original pantograph and pantographs equipped with three different baffles are numerically simulated to obtain the aerodynamic forces and moments of the pantograph components.Three different angles for the baffles are-17°, 0° and 17°.Then the multibody simulation is used to calculate the aerodynamic uplift force of the pantograph, and the optimal range for the baffle angle is determined. Results show that the lift force of the baffle increases with the increment of the angle in the knuckle-downstream condition, whereas the lift force of the baffle decreases with the increment of the angle in the knuckle-upstream condition. According to the results of the aerodynamic uplift force, the optimal angle of the baffle is determined to be 4.75° when the running speed is 350 km/h, and pantograph–catenary contact forces are 128.89 N and 129.15 N under the knuckledownstream and knuckle-upstream operating conditions,respectively, which are almost equal and both meet the requirements of the standard EN50367:2012.

Numerical Simulation of the Aeroacoustic Performance of the DSA380 High-Speed Pantograph Under the Influence of a Crosswind

The object of research of this paper is the DSA380 high-speed pantograph.The near-field unsteady flow around the pantograph was investigated using large eddy simulation(LES)while the far-field aerodynamic noise was analysed in the frame of the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings(FW-H)acoustic analogy.According to the results,the contact strip,base frame and knuckle are the main aerodynamic noise sources,with vortex shedding,flow separation and recombination around the pantograph being related key physical factors.The aerodynamic noise radiates outwards in the form of spherical waves when the distance of the noise receiving point is farther than 8 m.The sound pressure level(SPL)grows approximately as the 6th power of pantograph operating speed.The aerodynamic noise energy is mainly concentrated in the region of 400-1000 Hz,and the frequency band is wider with crosswind than without crosswind.The peak frequency displays a linear relationships with the operating speed and crosswind velocity,respectively.The aerodynamic and aeroacoustic generation from the knuckle-downstream orientation of the pantograph is superior to those of the knuckle-upstream orientation model.This finding may be used for the optimal design of future pantograph configurations in the presence of crosswind.

Numerical Investigation of the Deposition Characteristics of Snow on the Bogie of a High-Speed Train

To investigate the deposition distribution of snow particles in the bogie surfaces of a high-speed train,a snow particle deposition model,based on the critical capture velocity and the critical shear velocity,was elaborated.Simulations based on the unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes(RANS)approach coupled with Discrete Phase Model(DPM)were used to analyze the motion of snow particles.The results show that the cross beam of the bogie frame,the anti-snake damper,the intermediate brake clamps in the rear wheels,the traction rod and the anti-rolling torsion bar are prone to accumulate snow.The accumulation mass relating to the vertical surface in the rear region,horizontal surface in the front region and the corner area of the bogie is high.The average snow accumulation mass for each component ordered from high to low is as follow:traction rod,frame,bolster,brake clamp 2,anti-rolling torsion bar,brake clamp 1,transverse damper,axle box 2,axle box 1,air spring,anti-snake damper,tread cleaning device.The snow accumulation mass on the front components of the bogie is more significant than that relating to the rear components.Particularly,the average snow accumulation mass of rear brake clamp 2 and axle box 2 is about twice as high as that of the front brake clamp 1 and axle box 1.

A Fast Approach for Predicting Aerodynamic Noise Sources of High-Speed Train Running in Tunnel

The aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains passing through a tunnel has gradually become an important issue.Numerical approaches for predicting the aerodynamic noise sources of high-speed trains running in tunnels are the key to alleviating aerodynamic noise issues.In this paper,two typical numerical methods are used to calculate the aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains.These are the static method combined with non-reflective boundary conditions and the dynamic mesh method combined with adaptive mesh.The fluctuating pressure,flow field and aerodynamic noise source are numerically simulated using the abovemethods.The results showthat the fluctuating pressure,flow field structure and noise source characteristics obtained using different methods,are basically consistent.Compared to the dynamic mesh method,the pressure,vortex size and noise source radiation intensity,obtained by the static method,are larger.The differences are in the tail car and its wake.The two calculation methods show that the spectral characteristics of the surface noise source are consistent.The maximum difference in the sound pressure level is 1.9 dBA.The static method is more efficient and more suitable for engineering applications.

Aerodynamic performances and vehicle dynamic response of high-speed trains passing each other

Based on the aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics, the aerodynamic performances and vehicle dynamic characteristics of two high-speed trains passing each other on the ground, embankment and bridge are studied. Firstly, a train aerodynamic model and a vehicle dynamic model are established. Through the simulation of the two models, the pressure waves, aerodynamic forces, and vehicle dynamic responses are obtained. Then, the pressure waves and aero- dynamic forces on different foundations are compared. The results show that the variation trends of pressure wave and aerodynamic forces of trains passing each other on different foundations are almost similar. The peak-to-peak differ- ences in pressure wave and aerodynamic force are below 4% and 3% in three cases in open air. Besides, the differences of security indexes, including coefficient of derailment, wheel unloading rate, the wheelset lateral force, and the wheel- rail vertical force, are below 2% among the three cases; the differences of comfort indexes, including the lateral acceleration and the vertical acceleration, are also below 2%. It is concluded that the dynamic performances of trains pass- ing each other are influenced little by different foundations in open air.

Synergistic Effects of Targeting Survivin and CDK1 on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma <i>in Vitro</i>and <i>in Vivo</i>

Background: To explore the impact of pU6-based tandem survivin and CDK1-specific short hairpin RNA on the biological behaviors of CNE-2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Patients and Methods: The vectors of pU6-survivinshRNA, pU6-CDK1shRNA and pU6-survivinshRNA-CDK1shRNA were constructed and transfected into CNE-2 cells with Lipofectamine TM 2000, respectively. The mRNAs and proteins of CDK1 and survivin were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting, accordingly. MTT assay was employed to evaluate the proliferation of CNE-2 cells, and flow cytometry was performed to determine the apoptosis of CNE-2 cells. The effects of interfering survivin and CDK1 on tumorigenesis were evaluated by tumor xenografts experiments. Results: Effective plasmids were successfully constructed knocking down survivin and/or CDK1. The proliferation inhibition of CNE-2 cells by pU6-survivinshRNA-CDK1shRNA (32.5%) was higher than that of by pU6-survivinshRNA (25.6%) and pU6-CDK1shRNA (15.6%), and apoptosis in CNE-2 cells simultaneously interfering survivin and CDK1 (15.2%) dramatically increased when compared to those of interfering survivin (5.4%) or CDK1 (4.7%) alone. Furthermore, simultaneously interfering survivin and CDK1 is more effective than interfering alone component in inhibiting tumor growth of fBalb/C nude mice xenografted with CNE-2 cells. Conclusion: The results altogether indicate that interfering survivin and CDK1simutaneously can produce synergistic effects of anti-nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which could be a potential therapeutic method.