Study on the pattern of train arrival headway time in high-speed railway

Purpose-The design goal for the tracking interval of high-speed railway trains in China is 3 min,but it is difficult to achieve,and it is widely believed that it is mainly limited by the tracking interval of train arrivals.If the train arrival tracking interval can be compressed,it will be beneficial for China's high-speed railway to achieve a 3-min train tracking interval.The goal of this article is to study how to compress the train arrival tracking interval.Design/methodologylapproach-By simulating the process of dense train groups arriving at the station and stopping,the headway between train arrivals at the station was calculated,and the pattern of train arrival headway was obtained,changing the traditional understanding that the train arrival headway is considered the main factor limiting the headway of trains.Findings-When the running speed of trains is high,the headway between trains is short,the length of the station approach throat area is considerable and frequent train arrivals at the station,the arrival headway for the first group or several groups of trains will exceed the headway,but the subsequent sets of trains will havea headway equal to the arrival headway.This convergence characteristic is obtained by appropriately increasing the running time.Originality/value-According to this pattern,there is no need to overly emphasize the impact of train arrival headway on the headway.This plays an important role in compressing train headway and improving high-speedrailwaycapacity.

Numerical study on wake characteristics of high-speed trains

Intensive turbulence exists in the wakes of high speed trains, and the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car could deteriorate rapidly due to complicated features of the vortices in the wake zone. As a result, the safety and amenity of high speed trains would face a great challenge. This paper considers mainly the mechanism of vortex formation and evolution in the train flow field. A real CRH2 model is studied, with a leading car, a middle car and a trailing car included. Different running speeds and cross wind conditions are considered, and the approaches of un- steady Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes （URANS） and de- tached eddy simulation （DES） are utilized, respectively. Re- suits reveal that DES has better capability of capturing small eddies compared to URANS. However, for large eddies, the effects of two approaches are almost the same. In conditions without cross winds, two large vortex streets stretch from the train nose and interact strongly with each other in the wake zone. With the reinforcement of the ground, a complicated wake vortex system generates and becomes strengthened as the running speed increases. However, the locations of flow separations on the train surface and the separation mechanism keep unchanged. In conditions with cross winds, three large vortices develop along the leeward side of the train, among which the weakest one has no obvious influence on the wake flow while the other two stretch to the tail of the train and combine with the helical vortices in the train wake. Thus, optimization of the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car should be aiming at reducing the intensity of the wake vortex system.

Adaptive Fault Estimation for Dynamics of High Speed Train Based on Robust UKF Algorithm

This paper proposes an adaptive unscented Kalman filter algorithm(ARUKF)to implement fault estimation for the dynamics of high⁃speed train(HST)with measurement uncertainty and time⁃varying noise with unknown statistics.Firstly,regarding the actuator and sensor fault as the auxiliary variables of the dynamics of HST,an augmented system is established,and the fault estimation problem for dynamics of HST is formulated as the state estimation of the augmented system.Then,considering the measurement uncertainties,a robust lower bound is proposed to modify the update of the UKF to decrease the influence of measurement uncertainty on the filtering accuracy.Further,considering the unknown time⁃varying noise of the dynamics of HST,an adaptive UKF algorithm based on moving window is proposed to estimate the time⁃varying noise so that accurate concurrent actuator and sensor fault estimations of dynamics of HST is implemented.Finally,a five-car model of HST is given to show the effectiveness of this method.

Effect of landform on aerodynamic performance of high-speed trains in cutting under cross wind

The effects of the different landforms of the cutting leeward on the aerodynamic performance of high-speed trains were analyzed based on the three-dimensional,steady,and incompressible Navier-Stokes equation and k-double-equation turbulent model.Results show that aerodynamic forces increase with the cutting leeward slope decreasing.The maximum adding value of lateral force,lift force,and overturning moment are 147%,44.3%,and 107%,respectively,when the slope varies from 0.67 to-0.67,and the changes in the cutting leeward landform have more effects on the aerodynamic performance when the train is running in the line No.2 than in the line No.1.The aerodynamic forces,except the resistance force,sharply increase with the slope depth decreasing.By comparing the circumstance of the cutting depth H= 8 m with that of H=8 m,the resistance force,lateral force,lift force,and overturning moment increase by 26.0%,251%,67.3% and 177%,respectively.With the wind angle increasing,the resistance force is nonmonotonic,whereas other forces continuously rise.Under three special landforms,the changes in the law of aerodynamic forces with the wind angle are almost similar to one another.

Formation mechanism of aerodynamic drag of high-speed train and some reduction measures

Aerodynamic drag is proportional to the square of speed. With the increase of the speed of train, aerodynamic drag plays an important role for high-speed train. Thus, the reduction of aerodynamic drag and energy consumption of high-speed train is one of the essential issues for the development of the desirable train system. Aerodynamic drag on the traveling train is divided into pressure drag and friction one. Pressure drag of train is the force caused by the pressure distribution on the train along the reverse running direction. Friction drag of train is the sum of shear stress, which is the reverse direction of train running direction. In order to reduce the aerodynamic drag, adopting streamline shape of train is the most effective measure. The velocity of the train is related to its length and shape. The outer wind shields can reduce train's air drag by about 15%. At the same time, the train with bottom cover can reduce the air drag by about 50%, compared with the train without bottom plate or skirt structure.

Theoretical research and experimental validation of quasi-static load spectra on bogie frame structures of high-speed trains

One of the major problems in structural fatigue life analysis is establishing structural load spectra under actual operating conditions.This study conducts theoretical research and experimental validation of quasi-static load spectra on bogie frame structures of high-speed trains.The quasistatic load series that corresponds to quasi-static deformation modes are identified according to the structural form and bearing conditions of high-speed train bogie frames.Moreover,a force-measuring frame is designed and manufactured based on the quasi-static load series.The load decoupling model of the quasi-static load series is then established via calibration tests.Quasi-static load–time histories,together with online tests and decoupling analysis,are obtained for the intermediate range of the Beijing—Shanghai dedicated passenger line.The damage consistency calibration of the quasi-static discrete load spectra is performed according to a damage consistency criterion and a genetic algorithm.The calibrated damage that corresponds with the quasi-static discrete load spectra satisfies the safety requirements of bogie frames.

Sound Source Localisation for a High-Speed Train and Its Transfer Path to Interior Noise

Noise is one of the key issues in the operation of high-speed railways, with sound source localisation and its transfer path as the two major aspects. This study investigates both the exterior and interior sound source distribution of a high-speed train and presents a method for performing the contribution analysis of airborne sound with regard to the interior noise. First, both exterior and interior sound source locations of the high-speed train are identified through in-situ measurements. Second, the sound source contribution for di erent regions of the train and the relationships between the exterior and interior noises are analysed. Third, a method for conducting the contribution analysis of airborne sound with regard to the interior noise of the high-speed train is described. Lastly, a case study on the sidewall area is carried out, and the contribution of airborne sound to the interior noise of this area is obtained. The results show that, when the high-speed train runs at 310 km/h, dominant exterior sound sources are located in the bogie and pantograph regions, while main interior sound sources are located at the sidewall and roof. The interior noise, the bogie area noise and the sound source at the middle of the coach exhibit very similar rates of increase with increasing train speed. For the selected sidewall area, structure-borne sound dominates in most of the 1/3 octave bands.

An improved algorithm for fluid-structure interaction of high-speed trains under crosswind

Based on the train-track coupling dynamics and high-speed train aerodynamics, this paper deals with an improved algorithm for fluid-structure interaction of high-speed trains. In the algorithm, the data communication between fluid solver and structure solver is avoided by inserting the program of train-track coupling dynamics into fluid dynamics program, and the relaxation factor concerning the load boundary of the fluid-structure interface is introduced to improve the fluctuation and convergence of aerodynamic forces. With this method, the fluid-structure dynamics of a highspeed train are simulated under the condition that the velocity of crosswind is 13.8 m/s and the train speed is 350 km/h. When the relaxation factor equals 0.5, the fluctuation of aerodynamic forces is lower and its convergence is faster than in other cases. The side force and lateral displacement of the head train are compared between off-line simulation and co-simulation. Simulation results show that the fluid-structure interaction has a significant influence on the aerodynam- ics and attitude of the head train under crosswind conditions. In addition, the security indexes of the head train worsen after the fluid-structure interaction calculation. Therefore, the fluid-structure interaction calculation is necessary for high-speed trains.

Development of a simulation model for dynamic derailment analysis of high-speed trains

The running safety of high-speed trains has become a major concern of the current railway research with the rapid development of high-speed railways around the world.The basic safety requirement is to prevent the derailment.The root causes of the dynamic derailment of highspeed trains operating in severe environments are not easy to identify using the field tests or laboratory experiments.Numerical simulation using an advanced train–track interaction model is a highly efficient and low-cost approach to investigate the dynamic derailment behavior and mechanism of high-speed trains.This paper presents a three-dimensional dynamic model of a high-speed train coupled with a ballast track for dynamic derailment analysis.The model considers a train composed of multiple vehicles and the nonlinear inter-vehicle connections.The ballast track model consists of rails,fastenings,sleepers,ballasts,and roadbed,which are modeled by Euler beams,nonlinear spring-damper elements,equivalent ballast bodies,and continuous viscoelastic elements,in which the modal superposition method was used to reduce the order of the partial differential equations of Euler beams.The commonly used derailment safety assessment criteria around the world are embedded in the simulation model.The train–track model was then used to investigate the dynamic derailment responses of a high-speed train passing over a buckled track,in which the derailmentmechanism and train running posture during the dynamic derailment process were analyzed in detail.The effects of train and track modelling on dynamic derailment analysis were also discussed.The numerical results indicate that the train and track modelling options have a significant effect on the dynamic derailment analysis.The inter-vehicle impacts and the track flexibility and nonlinearity should be considered in the dynamic derailment simulations.

Study on the operational safety of high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds

The characteristic wind curve （CWC） was com- monly used in the previous work to evaluate the operational safety of the high-speed trains exposed to crosswinds. How- ever, the CWC only provide the dividing line between safety state and failure state of high-speed trains, which can not evaluate the risk of derailment of high-speed trains when ex- posed to natural winds. In the present paper, a more realistic approach taking into account the stochastic characteristics of natural winds is proposed, which can give a reasonable and effective assessment of the operational safety of high-speed trains under stochastic winds. In this approach, the longitudi- nal and lateral components of stochastic winds are simulated based on the Cooper theory and harmonic superposition. An algorithm is set up for calculating the unsteady aerody- namic forces （moments） of the high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds. A multi-body dynamic model of the rail vehicle is established to compute the vehicle system dynamic response subjected to the unsteady aerodynamic forces （mo- ments） input. Then the statistical method is used to get the mean characteristic wind curve （MCWC） and spread range of the high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds. It is found that the CWC provided by the previous analyticalmethod produces over-conservative limits. The methodol- ogy proposed in the present paper can provide more signif- icant reference for the safety operation of high-speed trains exposed to stochastic winds.

Flow structure around high-speed train in open air

According to the analysis of the turbulent intensity level around the high-speed train, the maximum turbulent intensity ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 which belongs to high turbulent flow. The flow field distribution law was studied and eight types of flow regions were proposed. They are high pressure with air stagnant region, pressure decreasing with air accelerating region, low pressure with high air flow velocity region I, turbulent region, steady flow region, low pressure with high air flow velocity region II,pressure increasing with air decelerating region and wake region. The analysis of the vortex structure around the train shows that the vortex is mainly induced by structures with complex mutation and large curvature change. The head and rear of train, the underbody structure, the carriage connection section and the wake region are the main vortex generating sources while the train body with even cross-section has rare vortexes. The wake structure development law studied lays foundation for the train drag reduction.

Effect of ambient wind on pressure wave generated by high-speed train entering a tunnel

Using three-dimensional, unsteady N-S equations and k-ε turbulence model, the effect of ambient wind on the pressure wave generated by a high-speed train entering a tunnel was studied via numerical simulation. Pressure changes of the train surface and tunnel wall were obtained as well as the flow field around the train. Results show that when the train runs downwind, the pressure change is smaller than that generated when there is no wind. When the train runs upwind, the pressure change is larger. The pressure change is more sensitive in the upwind condition than in the downwind condition. Compared with no wind condition, when the wind velocity is 10 m/s and 30 m/s, the pressure amplitude on the train head is reduced by 2.8% and 10.5%, respectively. The wall pressure amplitude at 400 m away from the tunnel entrance is reduced by 2.4% and 13.5%, respectively. When the wind velocity is-10 m/s and-30 m/s, the pressure amplitude on the train head increases by 3.0% and 17.7%, respectively. The wall pressure amplitude at 400 m away from the tunnel entrance increases by 3.6% and 18.6%, respectively. The pressure waveform slightly changes under ambient wind due to the influence of ambient wind on the pressure wave propagation speed.

Analysis theory of spatial vibration of high-speed train and slab track system

The motor and trailer cars of a high-speed train were modeled as a multi-rigid body system with two suspensions. According to structural characteristic of a slab track, a new spatial vibration model of track segment element of the slab track was put forward. The spatial vibration equation set of the high-speed train and slab track system was then established on the basis of the principle of total potential energy with stationary value in elastic system dynamics and the rule of "set-in-right-position" for formulating system matrices. The equation set was solved by the Wilson-θ direct integration method. The contents mentioned above constitute the analysis theory of spatial vibration of high-speed train and slab track system. The theory was then verified by the high-speed running experiment carried out on the slab track in the Qinghuangdao-Shenyang passenger transport line. The results show that the calculated results agree well with the measured results, such as the calculated lateral and vertical rail displacements are 0.82 mm and 0.9 mm and the measured ones 0.75 mm and 0.93 mm, respectively; the calculated lateral and vertical wheel-rail forces are 8.9 kN and 102.3 kN and the measured ones 8.6 kN and 80.2 kN, respectively. The interpolation method, that is, the lateral finite strip and slab segment element, for slab deformation proposed is of simplification and applicability compared with the traditional plate element method. All of these demonstrate the reliability of the theory proposed.

NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF WAVE DYNAMIC PROCESSES IN HIGH-SPEED TRAIN/TUNNELS

Numerical and experimental investigation on wave dynamic processes induced by high-speed trains entering railway tunnels are presented. Experiments were conducted by using a 1:250 scaled train-tunnel simulator. Numerical simulations were carried out by solving the axisymmetric Euler equations with the dispersion-controlled scheme implemented with moving boundary conditions. Pressure histories at various positions inside the train-tunnel simulator at different distance measured from the entrance of the simulator are recorded both numerically and experimentally, and then compared with each other for two train speeds. After the validation of nonlinear wave phenomena, detailed numerical simulations were then conducted to account for the generation of compression waves near the entrance, the propagation of these waves along the train tunnel, and their gradual development into a weak shock wave. Four wave dynamic processes observed are interpreted by combining numerical results with experiments. They are: high-speed trains moving over a free terrain before entering railway tunnels; the abrupt-entering of high-speed trains into railway tunnels; the abrupt-entering of the tail of high-speed trains into railway tunnels; and the interaction of compression and expansion waves ahead of high-speed trains. The effects of train-tunnel configuration, such as the train length and the train-tunnel blockage ratio, on these wave processes have been investigated as well.

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.

Detached-eddy simulation of flow around high-speed train on a bridge under cross winds

In order to describe an investigation of the flow around high-speed train on a bridge under cross winds using detached-eddy simulation(DES), a 1/8th scale model of a three-car high-speed train and a typical bridge model are employed, Numerical wind tunnel technology based on computational fluid dynamics(CFD) is used, and the CFD models are set as stationary models. The Reynolds number of the flow, based on the inflow velocity and the height of the vehicle, is 1.9×10~6. The computations are conducted under three cases, train on the windward track on the bridge(WWC), train on the leeward track on the bridge(LWC) and train on the flat ground(FGC). Commercial software FLUENT is used and the mesh sensitivity research is carried out by three different grids: coarse, medium and fine. Results show that compared with FGC case, the side force coefficients of the head cars for the WWC and LWC cases increases by 14% and 29%, respectively; the coefficients of middle cars for the WWC and LWC increase by 32% and 10%, respectively; and that of the tail car increases by 45% for the WWC whereas decreases by 2% for the LWC case. The most notable thing is that the side force and the rolling moment of the head car are greater for the LWC, while the side force and the rolling moment of the middle car and the tail car are greater for the WWC. Comparing the velocity profiles at different locations, the flow is significantly influenced by the bridge-train system when the air is close to it. For the three cases(WWC, LWC and FGC), the pressure on the windward side of train is mostly positive while that of the leeward side is negative. The discrepancy of train's aerodynamic force is due to the different surface area of positive pressure and negative pressure zone. Many vortices are born on the leeward edge of the roofs. Theses vortices develop downstream, detach and dissipate into the wake region. The eddies develop irregularly, leading to a noticeably turbulent flow at leeward side of train.

Methodology to Evaluate Fatigue Damage of High-Speed Train Welded Bogie Frames Based on On-Track Dynamic Stress Test Data

The current method of estimating the fatigue life of railway structures is to calculating the equivalent stress amplitude based on the measured stress data. However, the random of the measured data is not considered. In this paper, a new method was established to compute the equivalent stress amplitude to evaluate the fatigue damage based on the measurable randomness, since the equivalent stress is the key parameter for assessment of structure fatigue life and load derivation. The equivalent stress amplitude of a high-speed train welded bogie frame was found to obey normal distribution under uniform operation route that verified by on-track dynamic stress data, and the proposed model is, in effect, an improved version of the mathematical model used to calculate the equivalent stress amplitude. The data of a long-term, on-track dynamic stress test program was analyzed to find that the normal distribution parameters of equivalent stress amplitude values differ across different operation route. Thus, the fatigue damage of the high-speed train welded bogie frame can be evaluated by the proposed method if the running schedule of the train is known a priori. The results also showed that the equivalent stress amplitude of the region connected to the power system is more random than in other regions of the bogie frame.

Progress in high-speed train technology around the world

This is a review of high-speed train development in the sense of technology advances all over the world. Three generations of high-speed trains are classified according to their technical characteristics and maximum operating speed. Emphasis is given to the newly developed high-speed train in China, CRH380. The theoretical foundations and future development of CRH380 are briefly discussed.

Super-harmonic resonance of gear transmission system under stick-slip vibration in high-speed train

This work deals with super-harmonic responses and the stabilities of a gear transmission system of a high-speed train under the stick-slip oscillation of the wheel-set.The dynamic model of the system is developed with consideration on the factors including the time-varying system stiffness,the transmission error,the tooth backlash and the self-excited excitation of the wheel-set.The frequency-response equation of the system at super-harmonic resonance is obtained by the multiple scales method,and the stabilities of the system are analyzed using the perturbation theory.Complex nonlinear behaviors of the system including multi-valued solutions,jump phenomenon,hardening stiffness are found.The effects of the equivalent damping and the loads of the system under the stick-slip oscillation are analyzed.It shows that the change of the load can obviously influence the resonance frequency of the system and have little effect on the steady-state response amplitude of the system.The damping of the system has a negative effect,opposite to the load.The synthetic damping of the system composed of meshing damping and equivalent damping may be less than zero when the wheel-set has a large slippage,and the system loses its stability owing to the Hopf bifurcation.Analytical results are validated by numerical simulations.

Crosswind stability of high-speed trains in special cuts

Analysis of the aerodynamic performance of high-speed trains in special cuts would provide references for the critical overturning velocity and complement the operation safety management under strong winds.This work was conducted to investigate the flow structure around trains under different cut depths,slope angles using computational fluid dynamics(CFD).The high-speed train was considered with bogies and inter-carriage gaps.And the accuracy of the numerical method was validated by combining with the experimental data of wind tunnel tests.Then,the variations of aerodynamic forces and surface pressure distribution of the train were mainly analyzed.The results show that the surroundings of cuts along the railway line have a great effect on the crosswind stability of trains.With the slope angle and depth of the cut increasing,the coefficients of aerodynamic forces tend to reduce.An angle of 75°is chosen as the optimum one for the follow-up research.Under different depth conditions,the reasonable cut depth for high-speed trains to run safely is 3 m lower than that of the conventional cut whose slope ratio is 1:1.5.Furthermore,the windward slope angle is more important than the leeward one for the train aerodynamic performance.Due to the shield of appropriate cuts,the train body is in a minor positive pressure environment.Thus,designing a suitable cut can contribute to improving the operation safety of high-speed trains.