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Garcia JCorresponding AuthorMuñoz-Paniagua JAuthor

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August 31, 2020
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A second-generation URANS model (STRUCT-ε) applied to simplified freight trains

Publicated to: JOURNAL OF WIND ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL AERODYNAMICS. 205 (104327): 104327- - 2020-10-01 205(104327), DOI: 10.1016/j.jweia.2020.104327

Authors:

García, J; Muñoz-Paniagua, J; Xu, L; Baglietto, E
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Affiliations

Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Author
MIT, Dept Nucl Sci & Engn, 77 Massachusetts Ave - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Dept Ingn Energet, C Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2 - Author
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid - Author
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Abstract

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd An effective way to increase the volume of cargo transported by freight trains is to increase their operational speed. The complex flow generated by trains moving through air has attracted much attention from researchers aiming to further improve their performance. Unfortunately, wind tunnel tests do not fully represent the complex geometries and realistic flow conditions observed at full scale (wind gusts, atmospheric turbulence and relative motion of the train with respect to the ground). The availability of a reliable numerical model is therefore critical to analyze the influence of these conditions. Steady RANS models, although still in use in both industry and academia, have shown to be unsuitable, while LES solutions still involve an excessive computational cost. In this work a second-generation URANS closure (STRUCT−ε), proposed by Xu (2020) has been applied to the simulation of freight trains. The approach aims at advancing the robustness and applicability of hybrid turbulence models by relying on the efficiency of an extensively validated anisotropic k−ε method, while locally introducing the necessary resolution of complex unsteady flow structures. The proposed model does not leverage any grid dependent parameter, but triggers controlled resolution of turbulence only in regions of poor URANS applicability, while reverting to a URANS solution when rapidly varying structures are not identified. In the case considered in this work, the reduction of computational cost has been reached by increasing the cell size, while maintaining CFL numbers around 1.0. The work has demonstrated the LES-like capabilities of the STRUCT−ε approach on much coarser grids, which allows a reduction of the total computing time by a factor of 5, as an essential enabler for effective aerodynamic design applications, especially aerodynamics optimization, crosswind stability and slipstream studies.
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Keywords

AerodynamicsFlowHybrid turbulence modelRansSasTrain aerodynamicsTurbulence modeling

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal JOURNAL OF WIND ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL AERODYNAMICS due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2020, it was in position 25/137, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Engineering, Civil.

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2026-04-25:

  • Google Scholar: 12
  • WoS: 17
  • Scopus: 20
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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-25:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 15 (PlumX).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/85871/

As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

  • Views: 121
  • Downloads: 49
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

This work has been carried out with international collaboration, specifically with researchers from: United States of America.

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (GARCIA GARCIA, JAVIER) .

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been GARCIA GARCIA, JAVIER.

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