Optimal cross-sectional area distribution of a high-speed train nose to minimize the tunnel micro-pressure wave

  • Authors:

  • Yo-Cheon Ku;Joo-Hyun Rho;Su-Hwan Yun;Min-Ho Kwak;Kyu-Hong Kim;Hyeok-Bin Kwon;Dong-Ho Lee

  • Affiliations:

  • Functional Test Team 2, Research & Development Division, Hyundai Kia Motors, Hwaseong-si, South Korea;Wind Turbine Development Team, R&D Center, Hyundai Rotem Company, Uiwang-shi, South Korea;School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea;School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea;School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institute of Advanced Aerospace Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea;Korea Railroad Research Institute, Uiwang-si, South Korea;School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Institute of Advanced Aerospace Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea

  • Venue:
  • Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

Optimization of the cross-sectional area distribution of a high-speed train nose is conducted for various nose lengths in order to minimize the micro-pressure wave intensity at a tunnel exit. To this end, an inviscid compressible flow solver is adopted with an axi-symmetric patched grid system. To improve the shape of the train nose, multi-step design optimization is performed using the Broyden---Fletcher---Goldfarb---Shanno (BFGS) algorithm with a response surface model. The optimization reveals that the optimal nose shapes differ for different nose lengths. For a short nose, the shape has an extremely blunt front end, and the cross-sectional area decreases in the middle section. As the nose length increases, the nose shape flattens around the middle section. These optimal shapes divide one large compression wave into two small waves by causing a strong expansion effect between the front and rear ends. As a result, through the nose shape optimization, the intensity of the micro-pressure wave is reduced by 18---27% compared to a parabolic nose, which has a minimum variation of the cross-sectional area change. The optimized distribution of the cross-sectional area can be used as a guideline for the design of three-dimensional nose shapes of high-speed trains, further improving their aerodynamic performance.