Numerical and experiment study on ventilation performance of the equipment compartment of Alpine high-speed train

Alpine High-Speed Train serves on the Lanzhou-Urumqi Line in northwest China, where the terrain is mainly the Gobi Desert. To adapt to this complex environment, the independent-air duct is mainly used for the electrical facilities inside the equipment compartment to prevent the spread of sand particles. This isolated air duct makes ventilation characteristics of the equipment susceptible to the external environment. For this reason, this work aims to clarify and investigate the ventilation characteristic of electrical facilities. A two-step simulation method using IDDES (Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation) and a real-vehicle tracking test using the T-typed pitot tubes were conducted. In the simulation, it is found that the ventilation performance can be influenced by the location of the equipment compartment, facilities and the fan mounted inside. By comparing the results of the test and simulation, they share the same characteristic that the air outlet volume of the converter near the head car is being promoted while it near the tail car is being inhibited. The maximum deviation ratio between the test and simulation is 9%. Therefore, the measurement method in this study is relatively reliable.