Experimental-numerical evaluation of crosswind effect on high-speed freight train and its payload

Even with travelling speeds below 200 km/h, typical features of freight trains, such as the poor aerodynamic performances due to wide and squared surfaces or the presence of empty vehicles alternate to loaded ones, can remarkably worsen the effects of interaction with wind. Aim of the work is to highlight the worst compositions in terms of rollover risk, taking also into account the interaction between the flat-wagon and the container, provided by the twistlock – corner casting connection. Aerodynamic coefficients on both the flat-wagon and the container are measured by means of wind tunnel tests on scaled models. A mathematical model of a single freight wagon is then used to investigate the interaction between the wagon and the turbulent wind and finally determine the Characteristics Wind Curves for the most critical train-set compositions.