Aerodynamics of high-speed maglev trains passing each other in open air

With increasing train speed, aerodynamic effects pose a safety risk for train operations, especially for trains passing each other, the strong transient aerodynamic loads could result in window breakage, sideward shaking, trackside worker injuries, and facility fatigue damage. Unsteady compressible numerical simulation is carried out in this paper to investigate the transient flow field induced by two maglev trains passing each other at a speed of 430 km/h in open air. Good agreement is obtained between the numerical method and full-scale experiment results, with differences smaller than 6%. The transient pressure change on train surfaces and the slipstream distributions on trackside are analysed. It was noted that the peak values of pressure coefficient for two trains passing each other are approximately twice as larger as that of a single train passing because of the blocking effect and interference by the motion of the other train in the opposite direction. The maximum slipstream velocity occurs at a height of 1.4 m from the top of rail (TOR) at the meeting position, and the relationship between the slipstream velocity and the distance from the centre of rail (COR) is obtained, based on which, the safe distance is calculated.