Experimental and numerical study on aerodynamic characteristics of suspended monorail trains passing each other under crosswinds

Suspended monorail trains (SMTs) are sensitive to crosswinds, and instantaneous aerodynamic characteristics of two SMTs passing each other under crosswinds are particularly complicated. In this study, a pressure measurement test is carried out on stationary train-bridge models arranged in several critical positions. In addition, a validated moving CFD model is developed with the dynamic and sliding mesh method to explore the realistic train movement effects. The time-varying aerodynamic forces and surface pressure distribution on, as well as the flow field around running trains and bridges during trains passing each other, are computed in detail to illustrate the shielding effect of the upstream train. The results reveal that when two trains begin to pass each other, the side force coefficient of the downstream train reduces significantly to negative values due to the wind shielding effect of the upstream train. The moving model successfully captures that airflow is separated on the middle line of the head car for the suspended monorail train, and the surrounding bluff double-beams can significantly affect the flow structures around the train. The wind shielding effect of the upstream train on the downstream train will weaken as the relative yaw angle decreases.