Study on Braking Panels in High Speed Trains Using CFD

With speed increasing in high-speed trains, due to limitations of other types of brakes, aerodynamic brake has becomean important braking method. In this task to make better use of brake’s panel different configurations are examinedand the best panel shape which provides the reasonable drag coefficient is introduced. The results of simulations arecarried out with the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software for a high speed train moving at speed of 360Km/hr.To provide the best arrangement of braking panel rows on the train roof, four cases are studied: a train without aerodynamicbrakes, with one, two, and three rows of aerodynamic brake’s panel over the roof of the train. The brakingforce per unit area of aerodynamic brakes is determined and compared with the results found in literature. With regardto the drag coefficient and necessary space for the placement of panels, the best shape and arrangement is introduced.Finally, to examine the material and thickness effects on operation of braking panels; stress and modal analysis havebeen performed and variation in: weight, maximum stress, displacement and first natural frequency are discussed.

Keywords:

braking panels , drag coefficient , high- speed train , natural frequency , CFD