Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment
Abstract Sandstorms have destructive effects on railway infrastructures due to the movement and erosion of sand. One of the proposed solutions to reduce the impact of windblown sand on desert railways is the hump slab track superstructure. This system entails removing the ballast layer and elevating...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Engineering and Applied Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-024-00569-6 |
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| author | Masoud Fathali Mohammad Mohsen Kabiri Nasrabad Fereidoon Moghadasnejad |
| author_facet | Masoud Fathali Mohammad Mohsen Kabiri Nasrabad Fereidoon Moghadasnejad |
| author_sort | Masoud Fathali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Sandstorms have destructive effects on railway infrastructures due to the movement and erosion of sand. One of the proposed solutions to reduce the impact of windblown sand on desert railways is the hump slab track superstructure. This system entails removing the ballast layer and elevating the rails using concrete foundations called humps, which create sand movement channels beneath the rails. The hump’s geometry must not only meet optimal aerodynamic conditions but also ensure ample clearance for sand passage, maintaining structural stability and efficient railway performance. In this study, the aerodynamic evaluation of various hump geometry is examined considering the elliptical (EL) and semicircular-rectangular (CR) shapes. Simulations are carried out using 3D computational fluid dynamics in ANSYS Fluent software. A gas–solid two-phase model, comprising a distinct phase for sand particles and another for air, is developed to assess the sand movement capacity through the selected hump geometries. A wind tunnel experiment is then performed on a prototype of a hump slab track to validate the software model. The findings highlighted that the CR shape, with a height of 25 cm, resulted in the most favorable outputs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd42f8685dba4ac7b9a63254d76fc816 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1110-1903 2536-9512 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Engineering and Applied Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd42f8685dba4ac7b9a63254d76fc8162024-12-29T12:33:16ZengSpringerOpenJournal of Engineering and Applied Science1110-19032536-95122024-12-0171111710.1186/s44147-024-00569-6Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experimentMasoud Fathali0Mohammad Mohsen Kabiri Nasrabad1Fereidoon Moghadasnejad2Rail Transportation Department, Road, Housing & Urban Development Research Center (BHRC)Rail Transportation Department, Road, Housing & Urban Development Research Center (BHRC)Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT)Abstract Sandstorms have destructive effects on railway infrastructures due to the movement and erosion of sand. One of the proposed solutions to reduce the impact of windblown sand on desert railways is the hump slab track superstructure. This system entails removing the ballast layer and elevating the rails using concrete foundations called humps, which create sand movement channels beneath the rails. The hump’s geometry must not only meet optimal aerodynamic conditions but also ensure ample clearance for sand passage, maintaining structural stability and efficient railway performance. In this study, the aerodynamic evaluation of various hump geometry is examined considering the elliptical (EL) and semicircular-rectangular (CR) shapes. Simulations are carried out using 3D computational fluid dynamics in ANSYS Fluent software. A gas–solid two-phase model, comprising a distinct phase for sand particles and another for air, is developed to assess the sand movement capacity through the selected hump geometries. A wind tunnel experiment is then performed on a prototype of a hump slab track to validate the software model. The findings highlighted that the CR shape, with a height of 25 cm, resulted in the most favorable outputs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-024-00569-6Desert railwayHump slab trackWind tunnel experimentANSYS FluentAerodynamic |
| spellingShingle | Masoud Fathali Mohammad Mohsen Kabiri Nasrabad Fereidoon Moghadasnejad Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment Journal of Engineering and Applied Science Desert railway Hump slab track Wind tunnel experiment ANSYS Fluent Aerodynamic |
| title | Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment |
| title_full | Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment |
| title_fullStr | Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment |
| title_short | Performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment |
| title_sort | performance of hump slab track in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel experiment |
| topic | Desert railway Hump slab track Wind tunnel experiment ANSYS Fluent Aerodynamic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-024-00569-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT masoudfathali performanceofhumpslabtrackinsandstormsusingsimulationandawindtunnelexperiment AT mohammadmohsenkabirinasrabad performanceofhumpslabtrackinsandstormsusingsimulationandawindtunnelexperiment AT fereidoonmoghadasnejad performanceofhumpslabtrackinsandstormsusingsimulationandawindtunnelexperiment |