Effect of Two Bogie Cavity Configurations on the Underbody Flow and Near Wake Structures of a High-Speed Train

A time-dependent simulation method, DES (detached eddy simulation), combined with Realizable k-ε turbulence model, has been adopted to study the underbody flow and near wake structures of a high-speed train with two bogie cavity configurations laid on the stationary ground. The numerical data, including timeaveraged aerodynamic drag forces and pressure coefficients, were compared with experimental results from previous wind tunnel tests. A detail comparison of the instantaneous flow structures, mean velocity vector contours, velocity and pressure profiles under the train bottom in the symmetry plane and velocity contours overlaid with streamlines in the wake has been conducted in the two configurations. Also the aerodynamic drag coefficients for the two cases are discussed herein. The two cases show that the bogie cavity configurations contribute to the differences of velocity and pressure distributions in each bogie region, as well as the complex vortex structures around the bogie regions. Compared to the inclined bogie cavity configuration, the train with straight plates experiences a lower drag force by 2.8% for a three-car model in the stationary ground. Thus, an effective simplification criterion for the train model will contribute to an accurate prediction of forces of trains in simulations.