Tunnel aerodynamic design within the European high-speed rail network

摘要

The requirements for Interoperability within the European High-Speed Rail network involves a number of standards and criteria which are to be adopted throughout the international area covered. One aspect of this concerns the aerodynamic design of tunnels. The Paper describes recent work undertaken by international specialists within two projects managed by the European Rail Research Institute (ERRI), based in the Netherlands, undertaken with funding from the International Union of Railways (UIC). For high-speed operations (≥200 km/h), tunnel cross-sectional areas are fixed by the need to limit the large pressure changes created by trains entering and passing through the tunnels. The focus of the recent work for UIC has been to formulate a methodology for sizing the cross-section of tunnels taking account of the aerodynamic design features of the trains using the tunnel, their operating conditions, and other geometric parameters of the tunnel. An important feature has been the specification and subsequent incorporation into the methodology of comfort and medical health criteria for passengers and crew with regard to rapid pressure fluctuations.