Experimental method for wind tunnel tests to simulate turbulent flow on the roof of high-speed trains

Abstract

Differences in flow conditions between wind tunnel tests and actual trains sometimes generate significant errors in the estimation of aerodynamic noise from devices such as pantographs and also of aerodynamic forces acting on them. In this study, turbulent flow conditions around a current collector of an actual running train were measured first. An experimental method was then developed which places obstacles upstream from the test section in a wind tunnel in order to simulate turbulent flows. Finally, the aerodynamic noise and forces acting on a pantograph model were evaluated with and without the obstacles, which confirmed that the proposed method for wind tunnel tests simulated conditions of the actual train well.