Numerical investigation on the aerodynamic drag reduction based on bottom deflectors and streamlined bogies of a high-speed train

The complex structure of the bottom of a high-speed train is an important source of train aerodynamic drag.Thus,improving the bottom structure is of great significance to reduce the aerodynamic drag of the train.In this study,computational fluid dynamics(CFD)based on three-dimensional steady incompressible Reynolds-average Naiver-Stokes(RANS)equations and Realizable k-ε turbulence model were utilized for numerical simulations.Inspired by the concept of streamlined design and the idea of bottom flow field control,this study iteratively designed the bogies in a streamlined shape and combined them with the bottom deflectors to investigate the joint drag reduction mechanism.Three models,i.e.,single-bogie model,simplified train model,and eight-car high-speed train model,were created and their aerodynamic characteristics were analyzed.The results show that the single-bogie model with streamlined design shows a noticeable drag reduction,whose power bogie and trailer bogie experience 13.92%and 7.63%drag reduction,respectively.The range of positive pressure area on the bogie is reduced.The aerodynamic drag can be further reduced to 15.01%by installing both the streamlined bogie and the deflector on the simplified train model.When the streamlined bogies and deflectors are used on the eight-car model together,the total drag reduction rate reaches 2.90%.Therefore,the proposed aerodynamic kit for the high-speed train bottom is capable to improve the flow structure around the bogie regions,reduce the bottom flow velocity,and narrow the scope of the train’s influence on the surrounding environment,achieving the appreciable reduction of aerodynamic drag.This paper can provide a new idea for the drag reduction of high-speed trains.

Dynamic analysis of axle box bearings on the high-speed train caused by wheel-rail excitation

To explore the impact of wheel-rail excitation on the dynamic performance of axle box bearings,a dynamic model of the high-speed train including axle box bearings is developed.Subsequently,the dynamic response characteristics of the axle box bearing are examined.The investigation focuses on the acceleration characteristics of bearing vibration under excitation of track irregularities and wheel flats.In addition,experiments on both normal and faulty bearings are conducted separately,and the correctness of the model and some conclusions are verified.According to the research,track irregularity is unfavorable for bearing fault detection based on resonance demodulation.Under the same speed conditions,the acceleration peak of bearing is inversely proportional to the length of the wheel flat and directly proportional to its depth.The paper will contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamic performance of axle box bearings.

Torque effect on vibration behavior of high-speed train gearbox under internal and external excitations

The high-speed train transmission system,experiencing both the internal excitation originating from gear meshing and the external excitation originating from the wheel-rail interaction,exhibits complex dynamic behavior in the actual service environment.This paper focuses on the gearbox in the high-speed train to carry out the bench test,in which various operat-ing conditions(torques and rotation speeds)were set up and the excitation condition covering both internal and external was created.Acceleration responses on multiple positions of the gearbox were acquired in the test and the vibration behavior of the gearbox was studied.Meanwhile,a stochastic excitation modal test was also carried out on the test bench under different torques,and the modal parameter of the gearbox was identified.Finally,the sweep frequency response of the gearbox under gear meshing excitation was analyzed through dynamic modeling.The results showed that the torque has an attenuating effect on the amplitude of gear meshing frequency on the gearbox,and the effect of external excitation on the gearbox vibration cannot be ignored,especially under the rated operating condition.It was also found that the torque affects the modal param-eter of the gearbox significantly.The torque has a great effect on both the gear meshing stiffness and the bearing stiffness in the transmission system,which is the inherent reason for the changed modal characteristics observed in the modal test and affects the vibration behavior of the gearbox consequently.

Aerodynamic Features of High-Speed Maglev Trains with Different Marshaling Lengths Running on a Viaduct under Crosswinds

The safety and stability of high-speed maglev trains traveling on viaducts in crosswinds critically depend on their aerodynamic characteristics.Therefore,this paper uses an improved delayed detached eddy simulation(IDDES)method to investigate the aerodynamic features of high-speed maglev trains with different marshaling lengths under crosswinds.The effects of marshaling lengths(varying from 3-car to 8-car groups)on the train’s aerodynamic performance,surface pressure,and the flow field surrounding the train were investigated using the three-dimensional unsteady compressible Navier-Stokes(N-S)equations.The results showed that the marshaling lengths had minimal influence on the aerodynamic performance of the head and middle cars.Conversely,the marshaling lengths are negatively correlated with the time-average side force coefficient(CS)and time-average lift force coefficient(Cl)of the tail car.Compared to the tail car of the 3-car groups,the CS and Cl fell by 27.77%and 18.29%,respectively,for the tail car of the 8-car groups.It is essential to pay more attention to the operational safety of the head car,as it exhibits the highest time average CS.Additionally,the mean pressure difference between the two sides of the tail car body increased with the marshaling lengths,and the side force direction on the tail car was opposite to that of the head and middle cars.Furthermore,the turbulent kinetic energy of the wake structure on the windward side quickly decreased as marshaling lengths increased.

Integration of bio-inspired limb-like structure damping into motor suspension of high-speed trains to enhance bogie hunting stability

Hunting stability is an important performance criterion in railway vehicles.This study proposes an incorporation of a bio-inspired limb-like structure(LLS)-based nonlinear damping into the motor suspension system for traction units to improve the nonlinear critical speed and hunting stability of high-speed trains(HSTs).Initially,a vibration transmission analysis is conducted on a HST vehicle and a metro vehicle that suffered from hunting motion to explore the effect of different motor suspension systems from on-track tests.Subsequently,a simplified lateral dynamics model of an HST bogie is established to investigate the influence of the motor suspension on the bogie hunting behavior.The bifurcation analysis is applied to optimize the motor suspension parameters for high critical speed.Then,the nonlinear damping of the bio-inspired LLS,which has a positive correlation with the relative displacement,can further improve the modal damping of hunting motion and nonlinear critical speed compared with the linear motor suspension system.Furthermore,a comprehensive numerical model of a high-speed train,considering all nonlinearities,is established to investigate the influence of different types of motor suspension.The simulation results are well consistent with the theoretical analysis.The benefits of employing nonlinear damping of the bio-inspired LLS into the motor suspension of HSTs to enhance bogie hunting stability are thoroughly validated.

Flow and sound fields of scaled high-speed trains with different coach numbers running in long tunnel

Segregated incompressible large eddy simulation and acoustic perturbation equations were used to obtain the flow field and sound field of 1:25 scale trains with three,six and eight coaches in a long tunnel,and the aerodynamic results were verified by wind tunnel test with the same scale two-coach train model.Time-averaged drag coefficients of the head coach of three trains are similar,but at the tail coach of the multi-group trains it is much larger than that of the three-coach train.The eight-coach train presents the largest increment from the head coach to the tail coach in the standard deviation(STD)of aerodynamic force coefficients:0.0110 for drag coefficient(Cd),0.0198 for lift coefficient(Cl)and 0.0371 for side coef-ficient(Cs).Total sound pressure level at the bottom of multi-group trains presents a significant streamwise increase,which is different from the three-coach train.Tunnel walls affect the acoustic distribution at the bottom,only after the coach number reaches a certain value,and the streamwise increase in the sound pressure fluctuation of multi-group trains is strengthened by coach number.Fourier transform of the turbulent and sound pressures presents that coach number has little influence on the peak frequencies,but increases the sound pressure level values at the tail bogie cavities.Furthermore,different from the turbulent pressure,the first two sound pressure proper orthogonal decomposition(POD)modes in the bogie cavities contain 90%of the total energy,and the spatial distributions indicate that the acoustic distributions in the head and tail bogies are not related to coach number.

Theory and practice for assessing structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains

Purpose–The safety and reliability of high-speed trains rely on the structural integrity of their components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.This paper aims to define and substantiate the assessment of the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains in both theory and practice.The key principles and approacheswill be proposed,and their applications to high-speed trains in Chinawill be presented.Design/methodology/approach–First,the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains are defined,and their relationship is introduced.Then,the principles for assessing the structural integrity of structural and dynamical components are presented and practical examples of gearboxes and dampers are provided.Finally,the principles and approaches for assessing the dynamical integrity of highspeed trains are presented and a novel operational assessment method is further presented.Findings–Vehicle system dynamics is the core of the proposed framework that provides the loads and vibrations on train components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system.For assessing the structural integrity of structural components,an open-loop analysis considering both normal and abnormal vehicle conditions is needed.For assessing the structural integrity of dynamical components,a closed-loop analysis involving the influence of wear and degradation on vehicle system dynamics is needed.The analysis of vehicle system dynamics should follow the principles of complete objects,conditions and indices.Numerical,experimental and operational approaches should be combined to achieve effective assessments.Originality/value–The practical applications demonstrate that assessing the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains can support better control of critical defects,better lifespan management of train components and better maintenance decision-making for high-speed trains.

A trailer car dynamics model considering brake rigging of a high-speed train and its application

Brake systems are essential for the speed regulation or braking of a high-speed train.The vehicle dynamic performance under braking condition is complex and directly affects the reliability and running safety.To reveal the vehicle dynamic behaviour in braking process,a comprehensive trailer car dynamics model(TCDM)considering brake systems is established in this paper.The dynamic interactions between the brake system and the other connected components are achieved using the brake disc-pad frictions,brake suspension systems,and wheel-rail interactions.The force and motion transmission from the brake system to the wheel-rail interface is performed by the proposed TCDM excited by track irregularity.In addition,the validity of TCDM is verified by experimental test results.On this basis,the dynamic behaviour of the coupled system is simulated and discussed.The findings indicate that the braking force significantly affects vehicle dynamic behaviour including the wheel-rail forces,suspension forces,wheelset torsional vibration,etc.The dynamic interactions within the brake system are also significantly affected by the vehicle vibration due to track irregularity.Besides,the developed TCDM can be further employed to the dynamic assessment of such a coupled mechanical system under different braking conditions.

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.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of the Aerodynamic Torque for Axle-Mounted Train Brake Discs

As the velocity of a train increases,the corresponding air pumping power consumption of the brake discs increases proportionally.In the present experimental study,a standard axle-mounted brake disc with circumferential pillars was analyzed using a 1:1 scale model and a test rig in a wind tunnel.In particular,three upstream velocities were selected on the basis of earlier investigations of trains operating at 160,250,and 400 km/h,respectively.Moreover,3D steady computational fluid dynamics(CFD)simulations of the flow field were conducted to compare with the wind tunnel test outcomes.The results for a 3-car train at 180 km/h demonstrated:(1)good agreement between the air resistance torques obtained from the wind tunnel tests and the related numerical results,with differences ranging from 0.95%to 5.88%;(2)discrepancies ranging from 3.2 to 3.8 N·m;(3)cooling ribs contributing more than 60%of the air resistance torque;(4)the fast rotation of brake discs causing a significantly different flow field near the bogie area,resulting in 25 times more air pumping power loss than that obtained in the stationary brake-disc case.

Regenerative Braking Energy Recovery System of Metro Train Based on Dual-Mode Power Management

In order to fully utilize the regenerative braking energy of metro trains and stabilize the metro DC traction busbar voltage,a hybrid regenerative braking energy recovery system with a dual-mode power management strategy is proposed.Firstly,the construction of the hybrid regenerative braking energy recovery system is explained.Then,based on the power demand of low-voltage load in metro stations,a dual-mode power management strategy is proposed to allocate the reference power of each system according to the different working conditions,and the control methods of each system are set.Finally,the correctness and effectiveness of the dual-mode strategy are verified through simulation,and the proposed braking energy utilization scheme is compared with other singleform utilization schemes.The results illustrate that the hybrid system with the dual-mode strategy can effectively recycle the regenerative braking energy of metro train and inhibit the busbar voltage fluctuation;the proposed braking energy utilization scheme has certain advantages on energy recovery and DC bus voltage stabilization compared with other single-form schemes;the proposed power management strategy can correctly allocate the reference power of each system with a lower construction cost.

Measured load spectra of the bearing in high-speed train gearbox under different gear meshing conditions

The load spectrum is a crucial factor for assess-ing the fatigue reliability of in-service rolling element bear-ings in transmission systems.For a bearing in a high-speed train gearbox,a measurement technique based on strain detection of bearing outer ring was used to instrument the bearing and determine the time histories of the distributed load in the bearing under different gear meshing conditions.Accordingly,the load spectrum of the total radial load car-ried by the bearing was compiled.The mean value and class interval of the obtained load spectrum were found to vary non-monotonously with the speed and torque of gear mesh-ing,which was considered to be caused by the vibration of the shaft and the bearing cage.As the realistic service load input of bearing life assessment,the measured load spectrum under different gear meshing conditions can be used to pre-dict gearbox bearing life realistically based on the damage-equivalent principle and actual operating conditions.

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.

Vibration-based bearing fault diagnosis of high-speed trains:A literature review

Due to the advantages of comfort and safety,high-speed trains are gradually becoming the mainstream public transport in China.Since the operating speed and mileage of high-speed trains have achieved rapid growth,it is more and more urgent to ensure their reliability and safety.As an important component in the bogies of highspeed trains,the health state of the bearing directly affects the operational safety of the trains.It is therefore necessary to diagnoze the faults of bearings in the bogies of high-speed trains as early as possible.In this paper,the bearing fault diagnostic methods for high-speed trains have been systematically summarized with their challenges and perspectives.First,it briefly introduces the structure of bearings in the bogies as well as the fault characteristic frequencies.Then,a brief review of the research on vibration-based signal processing methods and machine learning methods has been provided.Finally,the challenges and future developments of vibrationbased bearing fault diagnostic methods for high-speed trains have been analyzed.

Virtually coupled train set control subject to space-time separation:A distributed economic MPC approach with emergency braking configuration

The emerging virtual coupling technology aims to operate multiple train units in a Virtually Coupled Train Set(VCTS)at a minimal but safe distance.To guarantee collision avoidance,the safety distance should be calculated using the state-of-the-art space-time separation principle that separates the Emergency Braking(EB)trajectories of two successive units during the whole EB process.In this case,the minimal safety distance is usually numerically calculated without an analytic formulation.Thus,the constrained VCTS control problem is hard to address with space-time separation,which is still a gap in the existing literature.To solve this problem,we propose a Distributed Economic Model Predictive Control(DEMPC)approach with computation efficiency and theoretical guarantee.Specifically,to alleviate the computation burden,we transform implicit safety constraints into explicitly linear ones,such that the optimal control problem in DEMPC is a quadratic programming problem that can be solved efficiently.For theoretical analysis,sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee the recursive feasibility and stability of DEMPC,employing compatibility constraints,tube techniques and terminal ingredient tuning.Moreover,we extend our approach with globally optimal and distributed online EB configuration methods to shorten the minimal distance among VCTS.Finally,experimental results demonstrate the performance and advantages of the proposed approaches.

A numerical method for the simulation of freight train emergency braking operations based on the UIC braked weight percentage

The present paper shows the development of a strategy for the calculation of the air brake forces of European freight trains. The model is built to upgrade the existing Politecnico di Torino longitudinal train dynamics(LTD) code LTDPoliTo, which was originally unable to account for air brake forces. The proposed model uses an empirical exponential function to calculate the air brake forces during the simulation, while the maximum normal force on the brake friction elements is calculated according to the indication of the vehicle braked weight percentage.Hence, the model does not require to simulate in detail the fluid dynamics in the brake pipe nor to precisely know the main parameters of the braking system mounted on each vehicle. The model parameters are tuned to minimize the difference between the braking distance computed by the LTDPoliTo code and the value prescribed by the UIC544-1 leaflet in emergency braking operations. Simulations are run for different configurations of freight train compositions including a variable number of Shimmns wagons trailed by an E402B locomotive at the head of the train, as suggested in a reference literature paper. The results of the proposed method are in good agreement with the target braking distances calculated according to the international rules.

Disturbance observer-based fuzzy fault-tolerant control for high-speed trains with multiple disturbances

The fault-tolerant control problem is investigated for high-speed trains with actuator faults and multiple disturbances.Based on the novel train model resulting from the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy theory, a sliding-mode fault-tolerant control strategy is proposed. The norm bounded disturbances which are composed of interactive forces among adjacent carriages and basis running resistances are rearranged by the fuzzy linearity technique. The modeled disturbances described as an exogenous system are compensated for by a disturbance observer. Moreover, a sliding mode surface is constructed, which can transform the stabilization problem of position and velocity into the stabilization problem of position errors and velocity errors, i.e., the tracking problem of position and velocity. Based on the parallel distributed compensation method and the disturbance observer, the fault-tolerant controller is solved. The Lyapunov theory is used to prove the stability of the closed-loop system. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant control strategy are illustrated by simulation results.

Refined disturbance observer based prescribed performance fixed-time control of high-speed EMS trains with track irregularities

High-speed Electromagnetic Suspension(EMS)train is continuously impacted by the irregularity of the track,which worsens the levitation performance of the train.In this paper,a composite control scheme for the EMS is proposed to suppress track irregularities by integrating a Refined Disturbance Observer(RDO)and a Prescribed Performance Fixed-Time Controller(PPFTC).The RDO is designed to estimate precisely the track irregularities and lumped disturbances with uncertainties and exogenous disturbances in the suspension system,and reduce input chattering by applying to the disturbance compensation channel.PPFTC is designed to converge the suspension air gap error to equilibrium point with prescribed performance by completing error conversion,and solve the fast dynamic issue of EMS.And the boundary of overshoot and steady-state is limited in the ranged prescribed.A theoretical analysis is conducted on the stability of the proposed control method.Finally,the effectiveness and reasonability of the proposed composite anti-disturbance control scheme is verified by simulation results.

Virtual sample generation for model-based prognostics and health management of on-board high-speed train control system

In view of class imbalance in data-driven modeling for Prognostics and Health Management(PHM),existing classification methods may fail in generating effective fault prediction models for the on-board high-speed train control equipment.A virtual sample generation solution based on Generative Adversarial Network(GAN)is proposed to overcome this shortcoming.Aiming at augmenting the sample classes with the imbalanced data problem,the GAN-based virtual sample generation strategy is embedded into the establishment of fault prediction models.Under the PHM framework of the on-board train control system,the virtual sample generation principle and the detailed procedures are presented.With the enhanced class-balancing mechanism and the designed sample augmentation logic,the PHM scheme of the on-board train control equipment has powerful data condition adaptability and can effectively predict the fault probability and life cycle status.Practical data from a specific type of on-board train control system is employed for the validation of the presented solution.The comparative results indicate that GAN-based sample augmentation is capable of achieving a desirable sample balancing level and enhancing the performance of correspondingly derived fault prediction models for the Condition-based Maintenance(CBM)operations.

Research on fatigue evaluation method of high-speed train axle based on axle box acceleration

As a key safety component of the high-speed train, fatigue fracture of the axle would lead to major accidents such as derailment or overturning. The complexity of the axle dynamic stress test seriously enhances the difficulty of axle fatigue damage analysis. In this paper, the dynamic stress test of the high-speed train axle was carried out,the axle box acceleration was monitored on-track during the test, and the relationship between the axle stress spectrum and acceleration was analyzed on-track. The results show that the relationships between the axle equivalent stresses and the Root Mean Square(RMS) values of the axle box vertical acceleration and lateral acceleration exhibit a strong joint probability density distribution. The concept of the virtual surface density of wheel-rail contact is also proposed to realize the purpose of using axle box acceleration to deduce axle equivalent force. The results quantify the relationship between axle box acceleration and axle equivalent force, provide a new method for predicting the axle damage using the acceleration RMS values, and open up a new approach for structural health monitoring of high-speed train axles.