Aerodynamic performance and overturning stability of high-speed trains in snowstorms

CUI Yang-yang1， XIONG Hong-bing1， CHEN Da-wei2， SHAO Xue-ming1， WAN Jun1
（1. Department of Mechanics， Zhejiang University， Hangzhou 310027， China；
2. National Engineering Laboratory for System Integration of High-speed Train（South），
 CSR Qingdao Sifang Co.，Ltd.， Qingdao 266111， China）

Abstract： In order to solve the problems of aerodynamic characteristics and operation safety issues of the CRH-2 high-speed train under extreme weather conditions（snowstorms），the Eulerian two-phase model was investigated. After the analysis of aerodynamic performance around the train，the relationship between the flow around the train and the forces on the train was established. A method was presented to compute the limit safety speed of the train. The overturning stability of high-speed train was evaluated on the strong crosswind and the heavy snow coupling a strong cross-wind. The experimental results show that，in the above two conditions the trends of the limit velocity are the same that both have more possibility of overturning from inside to outside，and in snowstorm weather the side force and overturning moment increase significantly comparing with the crosswind condition. Comparing with the condition of crosswind without snow，the train limiting speeds under snowstorm decrease about 20%~50%， this means that the train is more easily to overturn under snowstorm condition. The results can provide a frame of reference for the train safe operation under strong snow and crosswind conditions.
Key words： high-speed train；two-phase model；aerodynamic performance；snowstorms；overturning stability