Influences of marshalling length on the flow structure of a maglev train

In this paper, transient numerical simulations of maglev trains of different marshalling lengths (2, 4, and 8-car group trains) were conducted in the open air and without wind. This was done by solving the three-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using an SST K-ω double-equation IDDES turbulence model. The results were compared with the results of wind tunnel experiments to verify the feasibility of numerical simulation. The results show an increase in the marshalling lengths of the train affects the flow above and below the train. With the increase of the marshalling length, the position of the flow separation in the tail car is advanced. The turbulence generated by the average shear on the x, y-plane and the x, z-plane as a component of the turbulence of the wake region increases. The region that produces non-vorticial vorticity in the main vortex becomes narrow and moves towards tail car. The structural analysis of the wake indicates that the wake structure of the 8-car group train is quite different from the other two groups. Both the time-averaged slipstream and the gust analysis show that the maximum expected slipstream velocity at the track-side increases as the train marshalling length increases. At the platform height, the change in vertical position of the wake vortex structure of the 2, 4, and 8-car group trains caused the difference of the shear flow regions. This is why the maximum expected slipstream velocity generated by the 4-car group train at this position is largest. As the marshalling length of the train increases, the time-average drag and lift force coefficient of the tail car have a significant negative correlation.