Wind tunnel analysis of the slipstream and wake of a high-speed train

Abstract The slipstream of high-speed trains is investigated in a wind tunnel through velocity flow mapping in the wake and streamwise measurements with dynamic pressure probes. The flow mapping is used to explain the familiar slipstream characteristics of high-speed trains, specifically the largest slipstream velocities in the near wake. Further, the transient nature of the wake is explored through frequency and probability distribution analysis. The development of a wind tunnel methodology for slipstream assessment is presented and applied, comparing the output to full-scale results available in the literature. The influence of the modelling ballast and rail or a flat ground configuration on the wake structure and corresponding slipstream results are also presented.