Aerodynamic Characteristics Analysis of High-Speed Train Pantograph Under Various Crosswind and Train Speed Conditions

Journal article, 2026

As train speeds increase, the aerodynamic challenges posed by the complex and variable characteristics of higher-speed pantographs under different operating conditions and crosswind speeds became more pronounced. These challenges significantly compromised the stability of the pantograph, jeopardizing the safety of train operations. This study aimed to investigate the impact of various operating conditions of higher-speed pantographs, train speeds, and crosswind conditions on the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of pantographs. Numerical simulations were conducted using the improved delayed detached-eddy simulation (IDDES) method, and the results were validated against wind tunnel test data. The results indicated that the operational orientation of the pantograph exerted a profound influence on its aerodynamic behavior. While the pantograph generated a higher aerodynamic uplift force in the knuckle-downstream direction, this lift exhibited more pronounced fluctuations in the knuckle-upstream direction, accompanied by more intricate component load characteristics and the evolution of more complex vortex structures. As the train’s speed increased, the lift and drag coefficients of the lower framework of the pantograph demonstrated a pronounced sensitivity to speed variations, with its average drag coefficients surpassing that of the upper frameworkwork. Simultaneously, vortex shedding phenomena in the critical regions of the pantograph’s flow field exhibited a direct correlation with speed, with both the magnitude and intensity of the coherent structures escalating substantially. The flow field within the wake region beneath the pantograph emerged as the most complex due to the interference from the wake structures of multiple components. As crosswind velocity intensified, the lift and drag coefficients of each pantograph components underwent nonlinear, abrupt transitions with increasing wind speed. Notably, significant transitions occurred at a crosswind velocity of 10 m/s. At higher crosswind speeds, the wake vortex system in the pantograph’s flow field exhibited increasingly pronounced deflection and superposition effects, further complicating the overall flow structure.