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.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of High-Speed Pantographs with Supporting Beam Wind Deflectors

Aiming to mitigate the aerodynamic lift force imbalance between pantograph strips,which exacerbates wear and affects the current collection performance of the pantograph-catenary system,a study has been conducted to support the beam deflector optimization using a combination of experimental measurements and computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulations.The results demonstrate that the size,position,and installation orientation of the wind deflectors significantly influence the amount of force compensation.They also indicate that the front strip deflectors should be installed downwards and the rear strip deflectors upwards,thereby forming a“π”shape.Moreover,the lift force compensation provided by the wind deflectors increases with the size of the deflector.Alternative wind compensation strategies,such as control circuits,are also discussed,putting emphasis on the pros and cons of various pantograph types and wind compensation approaches.

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 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.

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.

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.

Multi-parameter joint optimization for double-strip high-speed pantographs to improve pantograph-catenary interaction quality

The significant increase in speed of high-speed train will cause the dynamic contact force of the pantograph-catenary system to fluctuate more severely,which poses a challenge to the study of the pantograph-catenary relationship and the design of highspeed pantographs.Good pantograph-catenary coupling quality is the essential condition to ensure safe and efficient operation of high-speed train,stable and reliable current collection,and reduction in the wear of contact wires and pantograph contact strips.Among them,the dynamic parameters of high-speed pantographs are crucial to pantograph-catenary coupling quality.With the reduction of the standard deviation of the pantograph-catenary contact force as the optimization goal,multi-parameter joint optimization designs for the high-speed pantograph with two contact strips at multiple running speeds are proposed.Moreover,combining the sensitivity analysis at the optimal solutions,with the parameters and characteristics of in-service DSA380 highspeed pantograph,the optimization proposal of DSA380 was given.

Optimization of high-speed railway pantographs for improving pantograph-catenary contact

A crucial system for the operation of high-speed trains is the pantograph catenary interface as it is the sole responsible to deliver electrical power to the train. Being the catenary a stationary system with a long lifespan it is also less likely to be redesigned and upgraded than the pantographs that fit the train vehicles. This letter proposes an optimization procedure for the improvement of the contact quality between the pantograph and the catenary solely based on the redesign of the pantograph head suspension characteristics. A pantograph model is defined and validated against experimental dynamic characteristics of existing pantographs. An optimization strategy based on the use of a global optimization method, to find the vicinity of the optimal solution, followed by the use of a deterministic optimization algorithm, to fine tune the optimal solution, is applied here. The spring stiffness, damping characteristics and bow mass are the design variables used for the pantograph optimization. The objective of the optimal problem is the minimization of the standard deviation of the contact force history, which is the most important quantity to define the contact quality. The pantograph head suspension characteristics are allowed to vary within technological realistic limits. It is found that current high-speed railway pantographs have a limited potential for mechanical improvements, not exceeding 10% 15% on the decrease of the standard deviation of the contact force. C 2013 The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. [doi：10.1063/2.1301306]

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.

On aerodynamic noises radiated by the pantograph system of high-speed trains

Pantograph system of high-speed trains become significant source of aerodynamic noise when travelling speed exceeds 300 km/h. In this paper, a hybrid method of non-linear acoustic solver （NLAS） and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings （FW-H） acoustic analogy is used to predict the aerodynamic noise of pantograph system in this speed range. When the simulation method is validated by a benchmark problem of flows around a cylinder of finite span, we calculate the near flow field and far acoustic field surrounding the pantograph system. And then, the frequency spectra and acoustic attenuation with distance are analyzed, showing that the pantograph system noise is a typical broadband one with most acoustic power restricted in the medium-high frequency range from 200 Hz to 5 kHz. The aerodynamic noise of pantograph systems radiates outwards in the form of spherical waves in the far field. Analysis of the overall sound pressure level （OASPL） at different speeds exhibits that the acoustic power grows approximately as the 4th power of train speed. The comparison of noise reduction effects for four types of pantograph covers demonstrates that only case 1 can lessen the total noise by about 3 dB as baffles on both sides can shield sound wave in the spanwise direction. The covers produce additional aerodynamic noise themselves in the other three cases and lead to the rise of OASPLs.

High-speed penetration of ogive-nose projectiles into thick concrete targets:Tests and a projectile nose evolution model

The majority of the projectiles used in the hypersonic penetration study are solid flat-nosed cylindrical projectiles with a diameter of less than 20 mm.This study aims to fill the gap in the experimental and analytical study of the evolution of the nose shape of larger hollow projectiles under hypersonic penetration.In the hypersonic penetration test,eight ogive-nose AerMet100 steel projectiles with a diameter of 40 mm were launched to hit concrete targets with impact velocities that ranged from 1351 to 1877 m/s.Severe erosion of the projectiles was observed during high-speed penetration of heterogeneous targets,and apparent localized mushrooming occurred in the front nose of recovered projectiles.By examining the damage to projectiles,a linear relationship was found between the relative length reduction rate and the initial kinetic energy of projectiles in different penetration tests.Furthermore,microscopic analysis revealed the forming mechanism of the localized mushrooming phenomenon for eroding penetration,i.e.,material spall erosion abrasion mechanism,material flow and redistribution abrasion mechanism and localized radial upsetting deformation mechanism.Finally,a model of highspeed penetration that included erosion was established on the basis of a model of the evolution of the projectile nose that considers radial upsetting;the model was validated by test data from the literature and the present study.Depending upon the impact velocity,v0,the projectile nose may behave as undistorted,radially distorted or hemispherical.Due to the effects of abrasion of the projectile and enhancement of radial upsetting on the duration and amplitude of the secondary rising segment in the pulse shape of projectile deceleration,the predicted DOP had an upper limit.

Numerical investigation of influence of pantograph parameters and train length on aerodynamic drag of high-speed train

This study investigates the influence of different pantograph parameters and train length on the aerodynamic drag of high-speed train by the delayed detached eddy simulation(DDES) method. The train geometry considered is the high-speed train with pantographs, and the different versions have 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16 and 17 cars. The numerical results are verified by the wind tunnel test with 3.6% difference. The influences of the number of cars and the position, quantity and configuration of pantographs on flow field around high-speed train and wake vortices are analyzed. The aerodynamic drag of middle cars gradually decreases along the flow direction. The aerodynamic drag of pantographs decreases with its backward shift, and that of the first pantograph decreases significantly. As the number of pantographs increases, its effect on the aerodynamic drag decrease of rear cars is more significant. The engineering application equation for the aerodynamic drag of high-speed train with pantographs is proposed. For the 10-car and 17-car train, the differences of total aerodynamic drag between the equation and the simulation results are 1.2% and 0.4%, respectively. The equation generalized in this study could well guide the design phase of high-speed train.

Expert Experience and Data-Driven Based Hybrid Fault Diagnosis for High-SpeedWire Rod Finishing Mills

The reliable operation of high-speed wire rod finishing mills is crucial in the steel production enterprise.As complex system-level equipment,it is difficult for high-speed wire rod finishing mills to realize fault location and real-time monitoring.To solve the above problems,an expert experience and data-driven-based hybrid fault diagnosis method for high-speed wire rod finishing mills is proposed in this paper.First,based on its mechanical structure,time and frequency domain analysis are improved in fault feature extraction.The approach of combining virtual value,peak value with kurtosis value index,is adopted in time domain analysis.Speed adjustment and side frequency analysis are proposed in frequency domain analysis to obtain accurate component characteristic frequency and its corresponding sideband.Then,according to time and frequency domain characteristics,fault location based on expert experience is proposed to get an accurate fault result.Finally,the proposed method is implemented in the equipment intelligent diagnosis system.By taking an equipment fault on site,for example,the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated in the system.

A review of artificial intelligence applications in high-speed railway systems

In recent years,the global surge of High-speed Railway(HSR)revolutionized ground transportation,providing secure,comfortable,and punctual services.The next-gen HSR,fueled by emerging services like video surveillance,emergency communication,and real-time scheduling,demands advanced capabilities in real-time perception,automated driving,and digitized services,which accelerate the integration and application of Artificial Intelligence(AI)in the HSR system.This paper first provides a brief overview of AI,covering its origin,evolution,and breakthrough applications.A comprehensive review is then given regarding the most advanced AI technologies and applications in three macro application domains of the HSR system:mechanical manufacturing and electrical control,communication and signal control,and transportation management.The literature is categorized and compared across nine application directions labeled as intelligent manufacturing of trains and key components,forecast of railroad maintenance,optimization of energy consumption in railroads and trains,communication security,communication dependability,channel modeling and estimation,passenger scheduling,traffic flow forecasting,high-speed railway smart platform.Finally,challenges associated with the application of AI are discussed,offering insights for future research directions.

Pantograph and catenary system with double pantographs for high-speed trains at 350 km/h or higher

The paper is aimed at developing an optimized design of the pantograph and catenary system with double pantographs at a speed of 350 km/h for the Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway. First, the pantograph and catenary system for the Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway was analyzed to verify whether its design objective could be fulfilled. It shows that the system is not able to satisfy the requirement of a sustainable running speed of 350 km/h. Then a new scheme for the pantograph and catenary system is proposed through optimization and renovation of the structure and parameters of the pantograph and catenary system, including the suspension type of the catenary, tension of the contact wire, and space between two pantographs. Finally, the dynamic performance of the new system was verified by simulation and line testing. The results show that the new scheme of the pantograph and catenary system for the Wuhan- Guangzhou high-speed railway is acceptable, in which the steady contact between the rear pantograph and the catenary at the space of 200 m can be maintained to ensure the current-collection quality. A current collection with double pantographs at a speed of 350 km/h or higher can be achieved.

Pantograph-catenary electrical contact system of high-speed railways:recent progress,challenges,and outlooks

As the unique power entrance,the pantograph-catenary electrical contact system maintains the efficiency and reliability of power transmission for the high-speed train.Along with the fast development of high-speed railways all over the world,some commercialized lines are built for covering the remote places under harsh environment,especially in China;these environmental elements including wind,sand,rain,thunder,ice and snow need to be considered during the design of the pantograph-catenary system.The pantograph-catenary system includes the pantograph,the contact wire and the interface—pantograph slide.As the key component,this pantograph slide plays a critical role in reliable power transmission under dynamic condition.The fundamental material characteristics of the pantograph slide and contact wire such as electrical conductivity,impact resistance,wear resistance,etc.,directly determine the sliding electrical contact performance of the pantograph-catenary system;meanwhile,different detection methods of the pantograph-catenary system are crucial for the reliability of service and maintenance.In addition,the challenges brought from extreme operational conditions are discussed,taking the Sichuan-Tibet Railway currently under construction as a special example with the high-altitude climate.The outlook for developing the ultra-high-speed train equipped with the novel pantograph-catenary system which can address the harsher operational environment is also involved.This paper has provided a comprehensive review of the high-speed railway pantograph-catenary systems,including its progress,challenges,outlooks in the history and future.

Human intrusion detection for high-speed railway perimeter under all-weather condition

Purpose – The paper aims to solve the problem of personnel intrusion identification within the limits of highspeed railways. It adopts the fusion method of millimeter wave radar and camera to improve the accuracy ofobject recognition in dark and harsh weather conditions.Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts the fusion strategy of radar and camera linkage toachieve focus amplification of long-distance targets and solves the problem of low illumination by laser lightfilling of the focus point. In order to improve the recognition effect, this paper adopts the YOLOv8 algorithm formulti-scale target recognition. In addition, for the image distortion caused by bad weather, this paper proposesa linkage and tracking fusion strategy to output the correct alarm results.Findings – Simulated intrusion tests show that the proposed method can effectively detect human intrusionwithin 0–200 m during the day and night in sunny weather and can achieve more than 80% recognitionaccuracy for extreme severe weather conditions.Originality/value – (1) The authors propose a personnel intrusion monitoring scheme based on the fusion ofmillimeter wave radar and camera, achieving all-weather intrusion monitoring;(2) The authors propose a newmulti-level fusion algorithm based on linkage and tracking to achieve intrusion target monitoring underadverse weather conditions;(3) The authors have conducted a large number of innovative simulationexperiments to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this article.

Study on the flow behaviour and aerodynamic noise characteristics of a high-speed pantograph under crosswinds

The aerodynamic noise of high-speed trains increases significantly under crosswinds.Researches have typically focused on the characteristics of aerodynamic loads and the corresponding safety issues,with less attention to flow-induced noise characteristics.In the present paper,the near-field unsteady flow behaviour around a pantograph was analysed using a large eddy simulation.The far-field aerodynamic noise from a pantograph was predicted using the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings acoustic analogy.The results showed that asymmetric characteristics of the flow field could be observed using the turbulent kinetic energy and the instantaneous vortexes in crosswind conditions.Vortex shedding,flow separation and recombination around the pantograph were the key factors for aerodynamic noise generation.The directivity of the noise radiation was inclined towards the leeward side of the pantograph.The aerodynamic noise propagation pattern can be considered as a typical point source on spherical waves when the transverse distance from the pantograph geometrical centre is farther than 8 m.The sound pressure level grew approximately as the 6 th power of the pantograph speed.The peak frequency exhibited a linear relationship with the crosswind velocity.The numerical simulation results and wind tunnel experiments had high consistency in the full frequency domain,namely,the peak frequency distribution range,the main frequency amplitude and the spectral distribution shape.

Effect of cavity flow control on high-speed train pantograph and roof aerodynamic noise

The pantograph and its recess on the train roof are major aerodynamic noise sources on high-speed trains.Reducing this noise is particularly important because conventional noise barriers usually do not shield the pantograph.However,less attention has been paid to the pantograph recess compared with the pantograph.In this paper,the flow features and noise contribution of two types of noise reduction treatments rounded and chamfered edges are studied for a simplified high-speed train pantograph recess,which is represented as a rectangular cavity and numerically investigated at 1/10 scale.Improved delayed detached-eddy simulations are performed for the near-field turbulent flow simulation,and the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings aeroacoustic analogy is used for far-field noise prediction.The highly unsteady flow over the cavity is significantly reduced by the cavity edge modifications,and consequently,the noise radiated from the cavity is reduced.Furthermore,effects of the rounded cavity edges on the flow and noise of the pantographs(one raised and one folded)are investigated by comparing the flow features and noise contributions from the cases with and without rounding of the cavity edges.Different train running directions are also considered.Flow analysis shows that the highly unsteady flow within the cavity is reduced by rounding the cavity edges and a slightly lower flow speed occurs around the upper parts of the raised pantograph,whereas the flow velocity in the cavity is slightly increased by the rounding.Higher pressure fluctuations occur on the folded pantograph and the lower parts of the raised pantograph,whereas weaker fluctuations are found on the panhead of the raised pantograph.This study shows that by rounding the cavity edges,a reduction in radiated noise at the side and the top receiver positions can be achieved.Noise reductions in the other directions can also be found.

A discussion about the limitations of the Eurocode’s high-speed load model for railway bridges

High-speed railway bridges are subjected to normative limitations concerning maximum permissible deck accelerations.For the design of these structures,the European norm EN 1991-2 introduces the high-speed load model(HSLM)—a set of point loads intended to include the effects of existing high-speed trains.Yet,the evolution of current trains and the recent development of new load models motivate a discussion regarding the limits of validity of the HSLM.For this study,a large number of randomly generated load models of articulated,conventional,and regular trains are tested and compared with the envelope of HSLM effects.For each type of train,two sets of 100,000 load models are considered:one abiding by the limits of the EN 1991-2 and another considering wider limits.This comparison is achieved using both a bridge-independent metric(train signatures)and dynamic analyses on a case study bridge(the Canelas bridge of the Portuguese Railway Network).For the latter,a methodology to decrease the computational cost of moving loads analysis is introduced.Results show that some theoretical load models constructed within the stipulated limits of the norm can lead to effects not covered by the HSLM.This is especially noted in conventional trains,where there is a relation with larger distances between centres of adjacent vehicle bogies.