Design and optimization of tunnel hoods

An obvious pressure change and a micro-pressure wave are generated when a train enters a tunnel at high-speed, which impacts on the comfort of passengers and the environment around the tunnel. Thus, it is necessary to study the aerodynamics of tunnels in order to reduce the pressure change and micro-pressure wave. Our laboratory owns an advanced moving-model device that can simulate two trains crossing in the open air or trains entering a tunnel, with a maximum speed of 400 km/h. This paper studies the pressure change, the micro-pressure wave and a series of hoods using three-dimensional numerical simulations and moving-model experiments. From a comparative study, we obtain rules governing the influence of hoods on the micro-pressure wave, and reasonable shapes and parameters of hoods are designed.