Large overpressures can be produced when a high-speed train enters and crosses a railway tunnel. Predicting them is important since, in critical conditions, pressure variations may be dangerous for train structures and for passengers’ health and comfort. European regulations impose pressure thresholds which trains must comply with in order to be homologated for travelling through tunnels. Currently, full-scale tests are required to demonstrate respect of these prescriptions. In this work, a procedure for calculating the pressure variations inside the tunnel based on 3 D steady CFD simulations and a 1 D compressible fluid-dynamics model is proposed, to be used both as a design tool and for virtual homologation of new rolling stock. Results of a large experimental campaign performed on the Italian high-speed line are used to set-up the proposed methodology and to validate it. Different train geometries, tunnel crossing speeds and tunnel initial air conditions are considered.
European Commission. Technical specification for interoperability relating to the “rolling stock locomotives and passenger rolling stock” subsystem of the rail system in the European Union. Off J Eur Union2014.
3.
European Commission. Technical specification for interoperability relating to “infrastructure” subsystem of the rail system in the European Union. Off J Eur Union 2014.
4.
DuJFangQWangG, et al. Fatigue damage and residual life of secondary lining of high-speed railway tunnel under aerodynamic pressure wave. Tunnel Undergr Space Technol2021; 111: 103851.
5.
MaedaTIidaMMurataK, et al. Micro-pressure waves radiationg from a tunnel portal and their mitigation. Internoise 2000. In: Proceedings of the 29th InternationaL Congress on Noise Control Engineering, held 27–31 August 2000, NICE, France. Volume 4, p. 2461-2.
6.
ManduchiG.Aerodynamic interaction between high-speed trains and tunnels. Master’s Thesis, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy, 2018.
7.
RiveroJMGonzález-MartínezERodríguez-FernándezM.A methodology for the prediction of the sonic boom in tunnels of high-speed trains. J Sound Vib2019; 446: 37–56.
8.
SomaschiniCArgentiniTBrambillaE, et al. Full-scale experimental investigation of the interaction between trains and tunnels. Appl Sci2020; 10: 7189.
9.
William-LouisMTournierC.A wave signature based method for the prediction of pressure transients in railway tunnels. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn2005; 93: 521–531.
10.
MartinezAVegaEGaiteJ, et al. Pressure measurements on real high-speed trains travelling through tunnels. In: BBAA VI international colloquium on: Bluff Bodies Aerodynamics & Applications Milano, Italy, 20 July–24 July, 2008.
11.
BourquinVBeguinCMonkewitzPA. Aerodynamic effects in railway tunnels as speed is increased. In: The aerodynamics of heavy vehicles: trucks, buses, and trains. Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer, 2004, vol. 19, pp.431–441.
12.
LiuTJiangZChenX, et al. Wave effects in a realistic tunnel induced by the passage of high-speed trains. Tunnel Undergr Space Technol2019; 86: 224–235.
13.
BellenoueMKageyamaT. Train tunnel geometry effects on the compression wave generated by a high-speed train. In: B Schulte-Werning, R Grégoire, A Malfatti, G Matschke et al. (eds) TRANSAERO -- a european initiative on transient aerodynamics for railway system optimisation, Notes on numerical fluid mechanics and multidisciplinary design (NNFM), Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer, vol 79. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-45854-8_23
14.
HeineDEhrenfriedKKühneltH, et al. Influence of the shape and size of cavities on pressure waves inside high-speed railway tunnels. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn2019; 189: 258–265.
15.
BellenoueMMorinièreVKageyamaT.Experimental 3-D simulation of the compression wave, due to train-tunnel entry. J Fluids Struct2002; 16: 81–595.
16.
RiccoPBaronAMolteniP.Nature of pressure waves induced by a high-speed train travelling through a tunnel. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn2007; 95: 781–808.
17.
GilbertT.Aerodynamic effects of high-speed trains in confined spaces. PhD Thesis, University of Birmingham, UK, 2013.
18.
TiantianWFanWMingzhiY, et al. Reduction of pressure transients of high-speed train passing through a tunnel by cross-section increase. J Wind Eng Industrial Aerodyn2018; 183: 235–242.
19.
ShuangMXianliLGuangC, et al. Numerical simulation of slipstreams and wake flows of trains with different nose lengths passing through a tunnel. Tunnel Underground Space Technol2021; 108: 103701.
20.
ÖsthJMorénMJaremanF, et al. Prediction of Micro-Pressure Waves phenomena in long train tunnels using 3D-CFD. In: Third international conference in numerical and experimental aerodynamics of road vehicles and trains (Aerovehicles 3), Milano, Italy, 2018.
21.
TakanobuOKozoF.Numerical investigation of three-dimensional compressible flows induced by a train moving into a tunnel. Comput Fluids1997; 26: 565–585.
22.
ForassiG.CFD analysis of pressure waves and loads on non-thight trains passing tunnels. Master Thesis, Politecnico di Torino and KTH, Italy, 2016.
23.
DiedrichsBBergMKrajnovicS. Large eddy simulations of the flow around high-speed trains cruising inside tunnels. In: European congress of computational methods in applied science and engineering, 2004.
24.
MasahiroSAtsushiIYutakaS, et al. Full-scale measurement and numerical simulation of flow around high-speed train in tunnel. J Mech Syst Transport Logist2008; 1: 281–292.
25.
LunYZWangP. Numerical modelling of train aerodynamics in confined space. In: 2016 IEEE region 10 conference (TENCON), 2016, pp.108–115.
26.
Joon-HyungK.Joo-HyunR.Pressure wave characteristics of a high-speed train in a tunnel according to the operating conditions. Proc IMechE, Part F: J Rail and Rapid Transit2017; 232: 09544097177020.
27.
William-LouisMJPGrégoireR.1-d calculations of pressure fluctuations outside and inside a pressure sealed high-speed trainset travelling through tunnels. In: Schulte-WerningBGrégoireRMalfattiA, et al. (eds) TRANSAERO – a European initiative on transient aerodynamics for railway system optimisation. Notes on numerical fluid mechanics and multidisciplinary design (NNFM). Berlin, Heidelberg, Springer, 2002, vol. 79.
HemidaHBakerCGaoG.The calculation of train slipstreams using large-eddy simulation. Proc IMechE, Part F: J Rail and Rapid Transit2014; 228: 25–36.
31.
ThompsonPA.Compressible-fluid dynamics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1972.
32.
BrambillaESomaschiniCRocchiD, et al. Comparison between train-tunnel pressure signatures single unit vs double unit. In: Third international conference in numerical and experimental aerodynamics of road vehicles and trains (Aerovehicles 3), Milano, Italy, 2018.
