High-speed freight trains for intermodal transportation: Wind tunnel study on the aerodynamic coefficients of container wagons

The paper investigates the response to crosswind of a high-speed freight train for intermodal transportation, through wind tunnel tests. A 1:20 model of a freight train composed by an engine and two flat-car vehicles was instrumented with force balances to measure the aerodynamic coefficients of the flat-car plus container assembly and of the container alone. Aerodynamic coefficients strongly affects the train stability and the anchorage limits of the container itself. During the wind tunnel tests, eight different loading configurations were considered and aerodynamic coefficients were determined for yaw angles (i.e. angle between train and wind) ranging from 0° to 90°. Experimental results show the benefits in terms of drag reduction due to the presence of a laden vehicle upstream. As far as the rollover risk is concerned, the less critical condition is found for a vehicle preceded by a fully laden wagon and followed by an empty one. More in particular, at low yaw angles, the worst condition for a vehicle occurs when the wagon ahead is empty while, for yaw angles between 45° and 55° which are the most critical for ‘low speed’ trains, the differences with respect to the other configurations reduce significantly.