Numerical simulation of train-induced aerodynamic pressure on railway noise barriers

Abstract

Abstract Noise barriers built parallel to the railway to reduce noise pollution, will be subjected to strong aerodynamic pressure from high-speed trains and have significant dynamic responses under such pressure. Based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the numerical simulation of train-induce aerodynamic pressure on noise barriers was performed. Time-varying pressure and its distribution along height direction of noise barriers were analysed, and the effect of different factors on results, i.e., the distance from noise barriers to track centre and height of noise barrier, were discussed. Results show that the geometric changes in train head and tail cause the obvious transient pressure pulse, and the pressure magnitude from head is higher than that from tail. With the measuring height increases, the pressure gradually decreases, which can be well characterized by height coefficient equation from Germany DB code. The pressure magnitude increases non-linearly with the distance to track centre decreases. Importantly, height of noise barrier is also an important factor affecting pressure magnitude on noise barriers and with the height of noise barrier increases, the pressure magnitude gradually increases but tends to be stable at higher height. Exponential equation can well characterize such effect of height of noise barrier on train-induced aerodynamic pressure.