Fluid-structure interaction between trains and noise-reduction barriers: Numerical and experimental analysis

Abstract

This paper deals with the fluid-structure interaction related to the transit of railway vehicles in proximity to noise-reduction barriers. During train transit a pressure wave is generated and consequently, due to the barrier's large surface area, non-negligible loads on the support elements arise. This problem applies in particular to high-speed railway lines and becomes critical when the train-barrier gap is small. Moreover, the presence of lateral wind can increase the loads acting on the structures, influencing the design of the support uprights. The problem has been numerically and experimentally evaluated. A preliminary study consisted of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, reproducing the train and barriers geometries and the relative motion with the "sliding mesh" technique. The conditions of both the absence and presence of lateral wind were investigated. The pressure distribution along the barriers was analysed for different conditions. Then, experimental tests were performed in the wind tunnel at the Politecnico di Milano. Different wind speeds and exposure angles were considered in order to define lateral wind contributions. The pressure on the barriers was calculated at several points by means of pressure taps. Finally, the results obtained were compared with the data collected during an experimental campaign performed on the Rome-Naples high-speed railway line. © 2009 WIT Press.