Experimental and numerical analysis of vortex-induced vibrations of a passenger train in curved tunnels

Train vortex-induced vibrations in tunnels pose significant challenges to the passenger ride comfort. This study investigates train vortex-induced vibrations within tunnels through an integrated approach combining full-scale field experiments and numerical simulations. Firstly, the field tests are conducted to reveal the vortex-induced vibrations of a passenger train traversing tunnel clusters. Subsequently, a coupled train–tunnel dynamic model is established via computational fluid dynamics and multibody dynamics, where unsteady aerodynamic loads are computed and fed into the vehicle dynamics simulation for validation. The results indicate that unsteady yaw and lateral aerodynamic forces, along with centrifugal effects, serve as the primary excitations for carbody lateral oscillations in curved sections. Furthermore, parametric studies are performed to evaluate the influence of suspension components, leading to a field-validated mitigation strategy.