Effect of noise barrier on aerodynamic performance of high-speed train in crosswind

A three-dimensional aerodynamic model and a vehicle dynamics model are established to investigate the effect of noise barrier on the dynamic performance of a high-speed train running on an embankment in crosswind in this paper. Based on the developed model, flow structures around the train with and without noise barrier are compared. Effect of the noise barrier height on the train dynamic performance is studied. Then, comparisons between the dynamic performance indexes of the train running on the windward track and on the leeward track are made. The calculated results show that the noise barrier has significant effects on the structure of the flow field around the train in crosswind and thus on the dynamic performance of the high-speed train. The dynamic performance of the train on the windward track is better than that on the leeward track. In addition, various heights of the noise barrier will have different effects on the train dynamic performance. The dynamic performance indexes keep decreasing with the increase of the noise barrier height before the height reaches a certain value, while these indexes have an inverse trend when the height is above this value. These results suggest that optimization on the noise barrier height is possible and demonstrate that the designed noise barrier height of the existing China Railway High-speed line analysed in this article is reasonable from the view point of the flow field structure and train dynamic performance although the noise barrier is always designed based on the noise-related standard.