• Wind and Structures
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.361-373
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• 2023

Suspended monorail trains (SMTs) are sensitive to crosswinds, and instantaneous aerodynamic characteristics of two SMTs passing each other under crosswinds are particularly complicated. In this study, a pressure measurement test is carried out on stationary train-bridge models arranged in several critical positions. In addition, a validated moving CFD model is developed with the dynamic and sliding mesh method to explore the realistic train movement effects. The time-varying aerodynamic forces and surface pressure distribution on, as well as the flow field around running trains and bridges during trains passing each other, are computed in detail to illustrate the shielding effect of the upstream train. The results reveal that when two trains begin to pass each other, the side force coefficient of the downstream train reduces significantly to negative values due to the wind shielding effect of the upstream train. The moving model successfully captures that airflow is separated on the middle line of the head car for the suspended monorail train, and the surrounding bluff double-beams can significantly affect the flow structures around the train. The wind shielding effect of the upstream train on the downstream train will weaken as the relative yaw angle decreases.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.82 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2022

This work elaborately investigates the influences of the guideway geometry parameters and track irregularity on the dynamic performances of the suspended monorail vehicle-guideway system (SMVGS). Firstly, a spatial dynamic analysis model of the SMVGS is established by adopting ANSYS parameter design language. Then, the dynamic interaction between a vehicle with maximum design load and guideway is investigated by numerical simulation and field tests, revealing the vehicle-guideway dynamic features. Subsequently, the influences of the guideway geometry parameters and track irregularity on the dynamic performances of the SMVGS are analyzed and discussed in detail, and the reasonable ranges of several key geometry parameters of the guideway are also obtained. Results show that the vehicle-guideway dynamic responses change nonlinearly with an increase of the guideway span, and especially the guideway dynamic performances can be effectively improved by reducing the guideway span; based on a comprehensive consideration of all performance indices of the SMVGS, the deflection-span ratio of the suspended monorail guideway is finally recommended to be 1/1054~1/868. The train load could cause a large bending deformation of the pier, which would intensify the car-body lateral displacement and decrease the vehicle riding comfort; to well limit the bending deformation of the pier, its cross-section dimension is suggested to be more than 0.8 m×0.8 m. The addition of the track irregularity amplitude has small influences on the displacements and stress of the guideway; however, it would significantly increase the vehicle-guideway vibrations and rate of load reduction of the driving tyre.