Numerical investigation of the slipstream characteristics of a maglev train in a tunnel

Abstract

High-speed maglev trains operate at higher speeds than conventional high-speed trains. This has implications on intensified aerodynamic issues, such as the transition between open air running and entering into a tunnel. In this paper, numerical simulation of a maglev train entering a tunnel is carried out using IDDES methods (based on SST k-omega model) to analyze the changing slipstream. The peaks and fluctuations of the slipstream are analyzed, together with the transient wake characteristics and TKE (turbulent kinetic energy) distributions. The influence of train nose length on the slipstream and its associated characteristics inside tunnels is also investigated in this paper. It was found that as the maglev train enters the tunnel, the wake slipstream at measuring points close to tunnel entrance increases significantly then decreases slightly with the increase of distance to tunnel entrance. Overall, the fluctuation and magnitude of slipstream inside tunnel is larger than that on open line, more specifically, the maximum TKE generated inside tunnel is. 7.62% larger than that on the open line at contour X = 3 H behind the train tail. Besides it takes longer time for the slipstream inside tunnel to return to the initial condition. These phenomena could be explained by that the scale of vortex structure formed behind the train tail is larger, the developing distance of the wake vortices in the streamwise direction is longer and the TKE generated is more significant inside tunnel. It was also found that increasing the nose length could effectively decrease the spatial scale and TKE of the wake vortices, which resulted on reducing the peak and pulsation of wake slipstream. Comparing to that of 5.4 m, the peak of the wake slipstream of the maglev trains with the 7.4 m and 9.4 m nose lengths at Y = 0.235 m(0.385) is reduced by approximately 23.7%(58%) and 35.9%(82.2%) on open field, and by about 3.6%(4.7%) and 14%(18.5%) inside tunnel. Besides, the maximum TKE at contour X = 2H/3H/5H behind the train tail decreases about 14.4%/10.7%/11.3% and 51%/31.5%/18% as the nose length increase to 7.4 m and 9.4 m respectively.