Field Tests and Wind Tunnel Tests on Aerodynamic Characteristics of Train/Vehicles under Crosswinds

Abstract

Natural winds are turbulent flows and boundary layers exist near the surface of the actual ground, so that there is a possibility that the aerodynamic forces acting on train/vehicles from natural winds differ from uniform flows. Accordingly, full-scale models of a train/vehicle and a viaduct were constructed in a windy area, and wind characteristics and aerodynamic forces acting on the vehicle models were measured. Wind tunnel tests were conducted to simulate the turbulent boundary layer flow, and these test results agreed well with field tests.