Design, Modelling and Simulation

Experimental and computational study on the key ventilation issues affecting air quality and thermal comfort in train cabins

Airlinx (Joanne Xia) / RMIT University (Jiyuan Tu)

Research summary

This project involved modelling airflow from the air vents within a train environment to determine optimum airflow based on different passenger numbers. Achieving an optimal temperature ensures passenger comfort is high, while also reducing the impact of contaminants in the airflow, with a specialised test facility established onsite at Airlinx.

Start/end date

1 July 2014 to 30 June 2020

Total contracted budget (including in-kind)

$2,448,500

Key achievements

• The project team were able to develop a comprehensive model for air flow in train carriages enabling different designs to be considered for optimised passenger comfort.
• Various designs of airconditioning diffusors were modelled and tested in the Airlinx laboratory, enabling new diffusor designs to be proposed.
• Modelling was extended to high speed trains to examine the effect of ambient conditions on carriage air, such as solar radiation and the effect of air pressure in tunnels.

Publications

Li, N., Yang, L., Li, X., Li, X., Tu, J. and Cheung, C. Multi-objective optimization for designing of high-speed train cabin ventilation system using particle swarm optimization and multi-fidelity Kriging. Building and Environment, 155 (2019): 161-174.

Yang, L., Li, M., Li, X. and Tu, J. (2018). The effects of diffuser type on thermal flow and contaminant transport in high-speed train (HST) cabins – A numerical study. International Journal of Ventilation 17(1): 48-62.

Yan, Y., Li, X., Shang, Y. and Tu, J. (2017). Evaluation of airborne disease infection risks in an airliner cabin using the Lagrangian-based Wells-Riley approach. Building and Environment 121: 79-92.

Yang, L., Li, X., Yan, Y. and Tu, J. (2018). Effects of cough-jet on airflow and contaminant transport in an airliner cabin section. The Journal of Computational Multiphase Flows 10(2): 72-82.

Yan, Y., Li, X. and Tu, J. (2017). Numerical investigations of the effects of manikin simplifications on the thermal flow field in indoor spaces. Building Simulation 10(2): 219-227.

Yan, Y., Li, X., Yang, Y. and Tu, J. (2017). Overall performance evaluation of underfloor air distribution system with different heights of return vents. Energy and Buildings 147: 176-187.

Yan, Y., Li, X. and Tu, J. (2019). Thermal comfort analysis of a high-speed train cabin considering the solar radiation effects. Indoor and Built Environment 0(0): 1420326X198760.

Yan, Y., Li, X., Yang, L. and Tu, J. (2016). Evaluation of manikin simplification methods for CFD simulations in occupied indoor environments. Energy and Buildings 127: 611-626.

Yang, L, Li, X. and Tu, J. Numerical study of diffuser type effects on transport characteristics of contaminants in high-speed train cabins. The 20th Australian Fluid Mechanics Conference (AFMC 2016). 5-8 Dec, 2016. Perth, Australia.