Numerical study on aerodynamic pressure caused by high-speed train passing through the subway station

Abstract

As the demand for efficient travel increased, the train speed is greatly increased and the subway gradually appeared the express train and the slow train. Express trains pass through some stations without stopping. In this case, the pressure transient phenomenon in the tunnel will become severe. In this study, the dynamic mesh simulation is used to study the pressure variations of the tunnel, platform screen door (PSD), and airshaft caused by the piston wind which is generated by the high-speed train passing through the tunnel and station. The effects of train speed, modes of the train passing through the station, number of airshafts and station types on the aerodynamic pressure are analyzed. The results demonstrate that the increase in train speed brings new challenges to the loading capacity of tunnel structure. Airshafts are set at the entrance and exit of the station, which is conducive to the pressure relief of each part of the tunnel structure. Furthermore, a new type of station with two tracks (express line and slow line) is conducted. The peak pressure of PSD is reduced by 48% compared with the conventional station. This study will contribute to the improvement of subway construction and provide theoretical and data support for the operation of the high-speed train.

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Numerical model of the train passing through the tunnel and station is built.

2. Pressure variations of tunnel, PSD and airshaft were explored.

3. The increase in train speed brings new challenges.

4. A new station type is proposed which has a great effect on the PSD’s peak pressure.

5. A series of parameters related to tunnel structure and PSD pressure are given.

Keywords:

• Subway tunnel
• piston wind
• aerodynamic pressure
• dynamic mesh simulation
• high-speed train

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors appreciated to the funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52108467 and 52278119).

Notes on contributors

Minzhang Liu

Minzhang Liu is an Associate professor in the School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China. She is the head of the Building Environment and Energy Engineering department. She received her Ph.D. degree in 2020 from Tianjin University. Her current research interests include the underground space and tunnel ventilation, built environment, flow fluid, and fire control. She has published extensively, with over 20 journal papers, technical reports and patents.

Chanyuan Li

Chanyuan Li is a student in the School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China. She is pursuing a master's degree. Her current research area is flow field and aerodynamic pressure inside subway tunnels. She has published two international academic paper.

Ru Chang

Ru Chang is an Associate professor in the School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China. Her current research interests include the characteristics of air flow fluid, energy efficiency and renewable energy utilization.

Bin Yang

Bin Yang is a Professor and School Dean in the School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China. He received his Ph.D. degree in 2009 from Technical University of Denmark and National University of Singapore. His current research interests include the built environment, thermal comfort, air distribution, energy savings, and intelligent sensing. He has published extensively, with over 100 journal papers, technical reports and patents.

Yanping Lai

Yanping Lai is an Associate professor in the School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China. At present, her current research areas include fire safety and safety engineering. She has published six international journal papers.

Weiyue Liu

Weiyue Liu is a student in the School of Energy and Safety Engineering, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China. She is pursuing a master's degree. Her current research field is flow field and fire control inside subway tunnels. She has published two international academic paper.

Huan Zhang

Huan Zhang is a Professor in the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. She received her Ph.D. degree in 2004 from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Main research direction of her is heat and mass transfer, building ventilation system, energy conservation and heat utilization of renewable energy. She has many international journal publications. She is the director of Tianjin Association of Refrigeration Air conditioning Heat Pump Committee.