Pressure Fluctuations in Railway Tunnels

Abstract

When high-speed trains enter and exit tunnels, major pressure transients are produced, which travel in the form of waves along the tunnel and are reflected at the portals. Guidelines and regulations limit the pressure changes felt inside the cars to ensure the health and aural comfort of the passengers. The authors developed a one-dimensional program, based on the method of characteristics, to carry out the necessary calculations. After validating the program against results from other codes, including full 3-D CFD calculations, they used it to confirm the design of a tunnel for high-speed rail traffic.