Head pressure pulse in open air: Full assessment by computational fluid dynamics as a new standard

Passing trains generate an aerodynamic load on their surroundings (crossing trains, infrastructure). Various standards for high-speed and conventional trains are used to limit the aerodynamic loads and define the value of the maximum allowed pressure variation in the open air. Pressure effects are commonly predicted using computational methods in order to approve a rolling stock design. As the accuracy of the prediction of the pressure variation is good in most cases, it has been proposed to define a standard for a full train assessment using predictive methods. The derivation of the new standard procedure by experimental and numerical investigations is described in this article.