Influence of head wind on the braking distance of single railway vehicle

Abstract

Train stopping distance during brake application is influenced by the brake system performance, longitudinal running resistance and presence of wind and its direction. This paper deals with influence of the wind conditions on the results of slip brake tests. The influence is more expressed in the case of single vehicles tests and less expressed for the trains. The tests with and without presence of head wind were performed on the tank car type Zacns. Depending on wind speed, measured stopping distances may differ significantly. Opposite from head wind, tail wind increases stopping distance and should be considered when calculating safety margin and setting service train speed depending on the wind conditions. The results may also serve for further analyses of aerodynamic characteristics of railway vehicles and for verification of numerical simulations.