Effect of Maglev Suspension on the Aerodynamics of Multiple Vehicles Moving in a Low-Pressure Tube

Abstract

The concept of high-speed vehicles traveling in a low-pressure closed system has attracted global attention as an innovative, efficient, and safe mode of transport. So far, most the studies on Hyperloop aerodynamics has considered a single vehicle moving in a confined space, but limited work has been devoted to the succession of vehicles system. This paper deals with the analysis of vehicle suspension gap for multiple vehicles system running in a low-pressure environment. The vehicle’s system is traveling at Mach number = 0.7 in a low operating pressure of 10,000 Pa and blockage ratio of 0.36. Each vehicle is equipped with a compressor and jet exit to provide the thrust force. Three running vehicles at various vehicle-to-vehicle distances, Xv (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2Lv), were numerically investigated using RANS. The analysis was carried out at a gap distance of 75 mm. The obtained results showed that the suspension gap significantly impacts the aerodynamic performance of the entire system. The flow structure behind each vehicle was investigated, and its influence on thrust was presented. It was observed that the drag on the trailing vehicle is approximately six times the drag on the leading vehicle. The high drag on the trailing vehicle is attributed to the development of shock waves at its rear part.