Dynamic Responses of a Magnetically Levitated Vehicle in a Crosswind

The dynamic responses of a magnetically levitated vehicle (maglev) in a crosswind are studied because the action of the wind field is one of the main factors affecting the stability and safety of the maglev at high speeds. First, a model of the maglev system is established to represent four vehicle motions: heave, sway, pitch and roll. Then based on the steady and incompressible Navier-Stokes equation and K-ε turbulent model, the aerodynamic characteristics of the maglev are numerically simulated by the finite element method to validate the model and algorithm suggested in this paper. Finally, numerical analyses are performed on the dynamic behavior of the vehicle in both steady and fluctuating crosswinds. It is shown that the stability of the maglev is greatly influenced by the wind velocity and its fluctuating component. Additionally, the variation of the maglev's dynamic response to wind velocity and its fluctuating component are described.