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.

Noise reduction mechanism of high-speed railway box-girder bridges installed with MTMDs on top plate

The issue of low-frequency structural noise radiated from high-speed railway(HSR) box-girder bridges(BGBs) is a significant challenge worldwide. Although it is known that vibrations in BGBs caused by moving trains can be reduced by installing multiple tuned mass dampers(MTMDs) on the top plate, there is limited research on the noise reduction achieved by this method. This study aims to investigate the noise reduction mechanism of BGBs installed with MTMDs on the top plate. A sound radiation prediction model for the BGB installed with MTMDs is developed, based on the vehicle–track–bridge coupled dynamics and acoustics boundary element method. After being verified by field tested results, the prediction model is employed to study the reduction of vibration and noise of BGBs caused by the MTMDs. It is found that installing MTMDs on top plate can significantly affect the vibration distribution and sound radiation law of BGBs. However, its impact on the sound radiation caused by vibrations dominated by the global modes of BGBs is minimal. The noise reduction achieved by MTMDs is mainly through changing the acoustic radiation contributions of each plate of the bridge. In the lower frequency range, the noise reduction of BGB caused by MTMDs can be more effective if the installation of MTMDs can modify the vibration frequency and distribution of the BGB to avoid the influence of small vibrations and disperse the sound radiation from each plate.

A study on aerodynamic noise characteristics of a high-speed maglev train with a speed of 600 km/h

Purpose–This study aims to explore the formation mechanism of aerodynamic noise of a high-speed maglev train and understand the characteristics of dipole and quadrupole sound sources of the maglev train at different speed levels.Design/methodology/approach–Based on large eddy simulation(LES)method and Kirchhoff–Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings(K-FWH)equations,the characteristics of dipole and quadrupole sound sources of maglev trains at different speed levels were simulated and analyzed by constructing reasonable penetrable integral surface.Findings–The spatial disturbance resulting from the separation of the boundary layer in the streamlined area of the tail car is the source of aerodynamic sound of the maglev train.The dipole sources of the train are mainly distributed around the radio terminals of the head and tail cars of the maglev train,the bottom of the arms of the streamlined parts of the head and tail cars and the nose tip area of the streamlined part of the tail car,and the quadrupole sources are mainly distributed in the wake area.When the train runs at three speed levels of 400,500 and 600 km$h1,respectively,the radiated energy of quadrupole source is 62.4%,63.3%and 71.7%,respectively,which exceeds that of dipole sources.Originality/value–This study can help understand the aerodynamic noise characteristics generated by the high-speed maglev train and provide a reference for the optimization design of its aerodynamic shape.

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.

Advancing high-speed train gearbox durability:enhanced bearing load and contact stress through transition from helical to herringbone gears

High-speed trains typically utilize helical gear transmissions,which significantly impact the bearing load capacity and fatigue service performance of the gearbox bearings.This paper focuses on the gearbox bearings,establishing dynamic models for both helical gear and herringbone gear transmissions in high-speed trains.The modeling particularly emphasizes the precision of the bearings at the gearbox's pinion and gear wheels.Using this model,a comparative analysis is conducted on the bearing loads and contact stresses of the gearbox bearings under uniform-speed operation between the two gear transmissions.The findings reveal that the helical gear transmission generates axial forces leading to severe load imbalance on the bearings at both sides of the large gear,and this imbalance intensifies with the increase in train speed.Consequently,this results in a significant increase in contact stress on the bearings on one side.The adoption of herringbone gear transmission effectively suppresses axial forces,resolving the load imbalance issue and substantially reducing the contact stress on the originally biased side of the bearings.The study demonstrates that employing herringbone gear transmission can significantly enhance the service performance of high-speed train gearbox bearings,thereby extending their service life.

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.

Measured dynamic load distribution within the in situ axlebox bearing of high-speed trains under polygonal wheel–rail excitation

The dynamic load distribution within in-service axlebox bearings of high-speed trains is crucial for the fatigue reliability assessment and forward design of axlebox bearings. This paper presents an in situ measurement of the dynamic load distribution in the four rows of two axlebox bearings on a bogie wheelset of a high-speed train under polygonal wheel–rail excitation. The measurement employed an improved strain-based method to measure the dynamic radial load distribution of roller bearings. The four rows of two axlebox bearings on a wheelset exhibited different ranges of loaded zones and different means of distributed loads. Besides, the mean value and standard deviation of measured roller–raceway contact loads showed non-monotonic variations with the frequency of wheel–rail excitation. The fatigue life of the four bearing rows under polygonal wheel–rail excitation was quantitatively predicted by compiling the measured roller–raceway contact load spectra of the most loaded position and considering the load spectra as input.

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.

Investigation on influencing factors of wheel polygonization of a plateau high-speed EMU train

Purpose–This study aims to investigate the cause of high-order wheel polygonization in a plateau high-speed electric multiple unit(EMU)train.Design/methodology/approach–A series of field tests were conducted to measure the vibration accelerations of the axle box and bogie when the wheels of the EMU train passed through tracks with normal rail roughness after re-profiling.Additionally,the dynamic characteristics of the track,wheelset and bogie were also measured.These measurements provided insights into the mechanisms that lead to wheel polygonization.Findings–The results of the field tests indicate that wheel polygonal wear in theEMUtrain primarily exhibits 14–16 and 25–27 harmonic orders.The passing frequencies of wheel polygonization were approximately 283–323 Hz and 505–545 Hz,which closely match the dominated frequencies of axle box and bogie vibrations.These findings suggest that the fixed-frequency vibrations originate from the natural modes of the wheelset and bogie,which can be excited by wheel/rail irregularities.Originality/value–The study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of high-order wheel polygonization in plateau high-speed EMU trains.Futher,the results indicate that operating the EMU train on mixed lines at variable speeds could potentially mitigate high-order polygonal wear,providing practical value for improving the safety,performance and maintenance efficiency of high-speed EMU trains.

Design and performance of a high-speed and low-noise preamplifier for SiPM

Considering the R&D for upgrading the K^(0)_(L) andμdetectors in the Belle II experiment using a scintillator and silicon pho-tomultiplier(SiPM),we designed a compact high-speed and low-noise preamplifier.The preamplifier demonstrated a good gain stability,bandwidth of 426 MHz,baseline noise level ofσ≈0.6 mV,dynamic range of up to170 mV of the input signal amplitude,good time resolution of 20 ps,and it can be comprehensively applied to SiPMs.Adopting pole-zero-cancelation in the preamplifier reduces both the rise and fall times of the SiPM signal,which can significantly improve the time resolution and reduce the pile-up when using a large SiPM or an array of SiPMs.Various combinations of the preamplifier and several types of SiPMs demonstrated time resolutions better than 50 ps for most cases;when the number of detected photons was larger than 60,a time resolution of approximately 25 ps was achieved.

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.

Aerodynamic noise characteristics of high-speed train foremost bogie section

This paper investigates the main scale analysis of the aerodynamic noise in the foremost bogie area by the large-eddy simulation(LES)and the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings(FW-H)analogy.The mechanism of the aerodynamic noise in this area has been excavated.The aerodynamic excitation results show that the bogie divides the bogie compartment into two cavities,each of which contains a large circulating flow and presents multi-peak characteristics in the frequency domain.The far-field noise results suggest that in the speed range of 200−350 km/h,the aerodynamic noise mechanism in the bogie area is the same.Cavity noise is the main noise mechanism in the foremost bogie area,and the bogie divides the bogie cabin into two cavities,thereby changing the aerodynamic noise in this area.

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.

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 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.

Investigation on aerodynamic noise reduction for snow-plough of high-speed train

A set of acoustic optimization design methods is established by combining the flow field deterioration theory and the acoustic analogy theory,and applied to the acoustic optimization design of high-speed train snow-plough.The results show that the streamline bodies of the head/tail car are the most important sound sources,respectively,accounting for 23.7%and 33.7%of the total sound energy.Compared with the streamline body of tail head,the streamline body of head car is more biased towards high frequency for the sound source energy.The A-weighted radiated noise of the train body is characterized by broadband sound(mainly in the range of 1-4 kHz)and peak features(especially at 2 kHz).The snow-plough with the maximum expansion length can mitigate the strong peak effect of the sound at 2 kHz,reduce the total sound energy,and show the best acoustic radiation performance in the four schemes.The numerical computation model was checked by the wind tunnel test results.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation on the External Aerodynamic Noise of High-Speed Train

Aerodynamic noise is the dominant noise source of the high-speed train.It not only seriously affects the passenger comfort and people’s normal life along the railway line,but also may cause fatigue damage to the surrounding equipment and buildings.This manuscript carried out the simulation and experimental study on the external aerodynamic noise of high-speed train,in order to increase the understanding of the noise and hence to be better able to control it.The on-line tests were performed to verify that it is reasonable to simplify the high-speed train model.The turbulent air flow model was then developed,and the external steady flow field was computed by Realizable k-εturbulence model.Based on the steady flow field,aerodynamic noise sources on the train surface and the external transient flow field were calculated by broadband acoustics source model and large eddy simulation(LES)respectively.The pressures on the train surface were obtained from the results of the transient model.Considering the transient flow field,the far-field aerodynamic noise generated by the high-speed train was finally obtained based on Lighthill-Curle theory.Through the comparison between simulations and on-line tests,it is shown that the numerical model gives reliable aerodynamic noise predictions.This research is significant to the study and control of the aerodynamic noise of high-speed train.