An IDDES study on a train suffering a crosswind with angles of attack on a bridge

Abstract The angle of attack of the crosswind gives a significant influence on the aerodynamic performances of the train running on a bridge. The improved delayed detached-eddy simulation (IDDES) method was employed to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of a generic train under a crosswind with different angles of attack. The numerical results were verified by wind tunnel tests. It was proven that the angle of attack of the crosswind has a significant influence on the train's time-averaged and transient lateral and vertical forces. The differences in terms of the distribution of pressure, velocity components, streamlines, and vorticity with regard to the angle of attack were compared and analyzed. Trains located on both windward and leeward were considered. Different crosswinds and the bridge form a coupling effect of the flow, which then acts on the trains. The upward crosswind thus produces more different flow patterns around the train.