Transient aerodynamic behavior of a high-speed Maglev train in plate braking under crosswind

The test speed of high-speed maglev trains (HSMT) exceeds 600 km/h, requiring higher braking performance and technology. Plate braking technology, which is a suitable choice, has been applied for engineering the high-speed test vehicles. However, the unsteady aerodynamic response during the opening process of HSMT under crosswind needs to be studied. This study explores the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of a HSMT with a train speed of 600 km/h during plate braking at different crosswind speeds. The plate motion is achieved based on the dynamic grid technology, and the unsteady flow field around the train is simulated using the unsteady Reynolds time averaged equation and the shear stress transport k-omega (SST k–ω) turbulence model. This calculation method was verified using wind tunnel test data. The peak aerodynamic drag (AD) of the braking plates overshot during opening. Under a crosswind of 20 m/s, the AD peak of the first braking plate was 11% larger than that without crosswind. The middle braking plates were significantly affected by upstream vortex shedding, and the AD fluctuation was the most severe. The AD of the head and tail coaches is significantly affected by crosswind. With an increase in the crosswind speed, the AD of the head and tail coaches decreased and increased, respectively. Compared with no crosswind, under a crosswind of 20 m/s, the AD of the head coach decreased by 43%, and the AD of the tail coach increased by a factor of approximately 1.1 times. Furthermore, the AD fluctuation of the tail coach was the most severe.