Visvesvaraya Technological University

Jnana sangama, Belagavi-590014, Karnataka

Seminar Report on
“HIGH SPEED TRAIN”
Submitted in partial fulfillment for the requirement for the award of the
degree of
Bachelor of Engineering
In
Civil Engineering
Submitted by

KIRAN VISHWAKARMA V
[4AD20CV016]

Under the Guidance of

Mr. SESHADRI N SHEKAR
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
ATMECE, Mysuru.
13th KM STONE, MYSURU-KANAKAPURA-BANGALORE ROAD, MYSORE-570028
2023-2024
 ATME COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
13th KM STONE, MYSURU-KANAKAPURA-BANGALORE ROAD, MYSORE-570028

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

MYSURU-570028

CERTIFICATE
This is to Certify that the seminar work entitled “ HIGH SPEED TRAIN ” carried out by KIRAN
VISHWAKARMA V (4AD20CV016) a bonafide student of ATME College of Engineering, in partial
fulfillment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, Visvesvaraya Technological
University, Belgaum during the year 2023-2024. It is certified that all corrections/suggestions indicated
for Internal Assessment have been incorporated in the seminar report deposited in the departmental
library. The seminar report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in respect of
seminar work prescribed for the said Degree.

Mr. SESHADRI N SHEKAR Mr. MANUVIJAY

Associate Professor Associate professor & HOD
Dept. of Civil Eng. Dept. of Civil Eng.
ATMECE, Mysuru ATMECE, Mysuru

NAME OF EXAMINERS SIGNATURE OF EXAMINERS

1) 1)

2) 2)
HIGH SPEED TRAIN

CONTENTS
Contents Page No

1. INTRODUCTION 5

2. HISTORY 6

3. TECHNICAL ASPECT 7

4. POWER 9

5. FLOW FIELD AROUND 12

16
6. ECONOMICAL EFFICIENCY OF THE HIGH-
SPEED TRAIN

7. CONCLUSION 18

8. REFERENCE 19

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ABSTRACT

This review introduces the concept of high-speed trains in simplistic engineering

terms. This review aims to discuss how the high speed trains function and what

implications they have on public transportation. The objective of this review is to

introduce to the reader the functions of a high-speed train. The scope of this review

only extends to reviewing the relevant material provided. This review does not

involve an experimental or simulation study. The paper is organized into four

sections. Types of tracks, Power, Flow field around the train and economic

efficiency of the train. In the depth of this article, the detailed explanation of the

track system, power generation, aerodynamics, and the economic efficiency of the

high-speed train are provided, which will give a perfect visualization of the

mechanism [how it works] of the whole system.

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1. INTRODUCTION

“High speed train”, by hearing this phase most of the people obtain a visualization of a train
which is moving at a tremendous speed (e.g., Japanese Bullet Train, fastest train alive in the
world). But is the concept of high-speed train really simple? Is it just moving at a great speed
because it is obvious? The answer is “no”. As intellects say, “don’t judge a book by its
cover”, the straight path looking concept of high-speed train is a complex maze in reality. To
grasp the concept of it [high speed rail], individuals need to be fully aware and properly
understand every detail [working process, parts to be mainly focused on] of it. But before
obtaining a vivid explanation of the concept, gaining a proper definition of high-speed train
will be more understandable. High speed train is a kind of train which uses a sophisticated
rolling stock system [a system whereby vehicles move on a railway, special designed train
sets] and a specialized track to sustain a very high speed. High speed train does not have a
worldwide standard over its speed. But in existing system and lines a high-speed train can
obtain speeds up to 200 or 220 km/h (newly proposed line can elevate it up to 250 km/h).
[10] Keywords such as induction, derailment aerodynamic drag etc. are very simplistic
engineering terms and do not require detailed explanation. A person with non-engineering
background and knowledge can still find the article useful as the keywords used in this report
cater to all. It is believed that high speed train is an important transport in this modern world
and will play a very important role [in terms of speed and traveling] in near future. Ergo, to
introduce it to the people and propose some valuable ideas toward its development is the
main goal/objective of this article.

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2. HISTORY
 1899- German engineers bought a high speed train.

 1964- Japan capitalized on high speed train.

 Shikanse , that was also known as “bullet train”

 Went 210km/hr and carried 100million people in first 3 years

 1981- high speed train revolution began in European starting with France

 A diesel-powered railcar was modified with a gas-turbine, and was called

“TGV”.

 It reached 230km/h.

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3. TECHNICAL ASPECT

Types Of Tracks High speed trains require different types of tracks to run, as the wear on the

track from high velocity trains affect it greatly. Hence there are many different forms of

railway meant to be able to handle the stress from the passing trains as well as to avoid

accidents from occurring and making sure that the passengers are safe.

3.1 Maglev

Maglev system were first made and used in Japan Maglev tracks work on a system of

magnetic levitation to move the trains without having contact with the actual train. The

magnets allow for the train to move by propulsion allowing for the train to be able to travel

at exceedingly fast speeds. Guang Yang & Zhenmin Tang explain this concept as “The

maglev train is levitated by the attraction between the controllable suspension electromagnet

and the stator pack, and' the suspension interstice is hold steadily by controlling suspending

exciting current” [1]. This theory can be seen in magnets whereas opposite poles attract, but

when similar poles are brought close together, there is a magnetic pull. The repulsion allows

the train to levitate. As previously mentioned, by exciting the current, the constant shift in

polarity allows for the magnetic field to pull the train and this causes thrust for the train to

move forward. With the lack of friction due to not having any contact with the floor, this

allows for high speeds to be achieved [2]. This technology has permitted for trains in Japan

to exceed a speed of 600km/h. [3]

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3.2 Rail and Wheel

The Rail and wheel is a system where as a flanged wheel is attached to the axle underneath

the train. This system has been in use for a long time, however the first high speed rail and

wheel system was invented in 1960 [1]. The wheel must be designed such as to have proper

interaction with the rail or else this would cause complications and inefficiency. With the

invention of high speed trains, comes the discussion of safety in utilizing these trains. A

major common incident is derailment of the train. Derailment could happen for many

multiple reasons.

Such as: • Broken rails

• Broken wheels

• Improper interaction between rail and wheels

• High speed banking

For high-speed trains, a main concern in derailment would be the speed at which the train

would bank. If the train is moving at a speed over the recommended speed at a certain area, it

may overturn. An example would be the Santiago de Compostela derailment in Spain in

2013. Measures that are taking is that every morning, the train operators allow a low speed

train carrying no passengers to make a round trip to check for any problems that there may

be in the tracks [1].

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4. POWER

Just like every other machine, the high speed trains also require power to function. There

have been trains which ran on coal or steam-powered engines. But to sustain a high-speed

train, we need to have electrical power transfer. This section will discuss the different ways

of powering the high-speed trains.

 Inductive power transfer

As we learnt from our previous discussion that Maglev is a train which functions on the

principle of electromagnetism. Therefore, to transfer power IPT is used since it’s the most

convenient for maglev.

IPT is basically the way how to efficiently carry electrical energy without any wires

connection from a primary to a secondary across a relatively large air gap. The shape of the

primary coil on a monorail is an elongated loop that is loosely coupled to a pickup coil on a

vehicle and may transfer 1–10 kW of power across a 4–10-mm gap. The performance of IPT

can be determined from two observable parameters: the open circuit voltage which is

Voc = JɯMI1

The short circuit current which is

Isc = MI1/L2

For IPT power the basic equation is the multiplication of the open circuit voltage and the

short circuit current which is constant, so all the pickups on the track getting that current

from Voc,

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Su = Voc * Isc = (JɯMI1) (MI1/L2).

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A practical IPT system consists of primary track that has an elongated loop of wire which

may be series compensated in order to ensure that the inductance, which is the property of an

electric conductor or circuit that causes an electromotive force to be generated by a change in

the current flowing, is within the limits able to be driven by the power supply. [4]

 Development of Monorail

The pickup is placed on a moving unit, called sometimes bogie, the output power from that

pickup is transformed into a useful power to make one motor or more that can move the

bogie along the primary track. To ensure that the track with long lengths can be driven and to

avoid any increment in cost, the track material should have no magnetic properties to

increase the efficiency of the power transfer. However, each coupled pickup should use the

magnetic material, for example, “ferrite” this will enhance the local coupling which will

improve the power transfer. to enhance the coupling in a monorail system, it is suggested

that the design of the magnetic material to extend partially within and around the track wires.

For such monorail system, the industrial companies use some shapes, E or U -shaped

pickups and S which has higher power than E and U.

 Overhead wire contact system

To ease the transfer of power for high-speed trains overhead contact systems

were developed. They are basically long wires which run the length of the entire

railway track and provide power to the train. They do that by establishing an

electrical connection between the head of the train and the overhead wires.

The principle of power supply wiring is not that easy. The wire must be able to tolerate

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vagaries of the weather that sometimes be extremely cold and sometimes hot, withstand the

wind and can take the current with several thousand amperes. The electric traction consists

of some contact wires and it is supported at intervals by droppers from a simple or composite

catenary wire [6]. Because of the curves in the track the contact wire should be pulled

laterally and has to be held in tension horizontally and it will be in two tonnes per region.

The wire length depends on the range of temp and it is between 1000, 1500 m long. The

dropper wire is attached by a clip which is fixed on the top side. At the end of the wire

length, there are weights held to maintain the tension of the wire. And each length is

extended over the next one cover it partly to make the pathway for the pan goes smoothly.

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5. FLOW FIELD AROUND

The Train If we look at an average LRT train in Malaysia. We can observe that its front is almost like a

bus’s front. Compare that to an average Japanese bullet train, it has more of a streamlined shape. The

purpose of this section is to put a comparative between these two cases and study why one is shaped the way

it is. When the train say, is moving at speeds such as 140 km/h or 39 m/s the effect of rolling friction

between tyre and the rail would be the major cause of resistance. LRT operates at similar speeds therefore it

does not require its shape to be streamlined. But for a high-speed train which could reach up to speeds of

400 km/h or 111 m/s then there is more than just rolling friction involved, there will be another term adding

to the resistance which is the aerodynamic drag. According to Schetz if a train were to travel at 250-300

km/h only it would experience 75 80% of its resistance from aerodynamic drag itself [7]. Therefore, to make

high-speed train efficient it is mandatory on part of the engineers to make the shape of the train more

streamlined. As we discussed in previous sections about the maglev, if a maglev train were to be used, there

would be almost zero friction between the rail and the train itself. Therefore, the only thing that will

contribute to the resistance will be the aerodynamic drag, which could be further divided into pressure drag

and skin friction drag [7]. The skin friction usually occurs due to the boundary layer formation between the

air and the surface of the train and is a direct result of shear stress. While pressure drag is caused due to the

normal pressure acting on the surface of the train. So therefore an Aerodynamic drag is caused due to the

pressure and shear stress. An aerodynamic shape will not only reduce the Aerodynamic drag but it will also

improve the economic efficiency of the train.

4.1 Flow field around the train in the open As discussed above, the two main sources of drag are the shear

stress and the pressure. Let us for now neglect the effect of skin friction drag and assume the flow is in-

viscid. If the shape of the train is streamlined all the way from the front till the end. The flow around the

train would almost trace the entire shape of the train. But if there were suppose any discrepancies, the flow

would stop at that point and an excessive pressure drag could form Fig
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Fig.1. Measured and calculated pressure distributions on a train nose model (Machrodt et al 1980)

In reality there is skin friction drag is present due to the wetted area which comes under the contact of the

air, and we don’t have any choice but to accept this drag, as well this might lead to formation of boundary

layers and more drag. Suppose a wind of a certain velocity is moving in the opposite direction of a stationary

train model. The Cp (Pressure coefficient) values are then calculated for this model and it is found that the

Cp is highest at the nose due to the stagnation point from Fig.2 [7]. This implies that when the shape of the

nose is blunt it increases the drag drastically as the body is not stream lined. Therefore, keeping the shape of

the train as streamlined as far as possible will help to reduce the drag. But to add to our worries there might

be a crosswind acting on the train which could affect the yawing motion of the train. Moreover, there might

me be the head or tail wind. Head will enhance the drag as it will work in the same direction as that of the

drag force. It is assumed that the effects of crosswinds are stronger when a train is passing over a bridge [8].

The wheel and suspension method uses suspensions to balance derailment through banking, this could be

used to counter crosswind effects as well. But for Maglev, the electromagnetic forces between the train and

track are pretty strong to derail it. But these are all assumptions. The engineers must be aware of crosswinds

and test their model before designing the train to avoid injuries.

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4.2 Flow field around the train passing through a tunnel There could be many reasons to have a train pass

through a tunnel such as lack of flat areas, or if the train needed to pass through densely populated areas etc.

The big problem with the flow characteristics of the train passing through a tunnel when arrives at the

entrance and the exit. Suppose we have a reservoir full of water connected to a small pipe which drains it

out. The water inside the reservoir is travelling at a speed and is now forced to go through a small area. As

per the continuity equation the Velocity will increase drastically and therefore, according to the energy

equation, the pressure will decrease drastically as well. Therefore, if a train from the open area enters into a

narrow tunnel the air is pushed in at a high velocity and there is a sudden pressure drop within a very small

distance. This leads to an increase in compressibility of the air, which leads to the formation of compression

waves

Fig.2. One-dimensional flow model of compression wave

If suppose the velocity of the air pushing through the tunnel reaches sonic velocity (i. e. Mach M = 1) it will

results in the formation of the Mach waves or if M>1 it could generate Shockwaves and sonic booms. There

is a tunnel called the Euerwang tunnel in Germany which creates sonic booms when a train passes through

it. Therefore, to add to the pressure drag and skin friction drag we now have another component of the drag

is the wave drag, which is caused by a sudden change in pressure through tunnel entrances. But to add to our

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worries, at the exit of the tunnel an impulse wave is generated [8]. This impulse wave is reflected back into

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the tunnel and it adds to the wave drag acting on the train. The sudden drop in pressure passing through the

tunnel is not just an aerodynamic drag problem, it has direct effects on the structure of the train and also the

people inside. To avoid this, maybe the trains could go slower when passing through tunnels. Or maybe the

size of tunnels could be very large, or the structure used to make the train made in a way so that it could

withstand the pressure drop, and have no effect on the people inside. The main objective is to reduce cost,

provide safety and comfort for the passengers and if all are achieved then it becomes an efficient model.

Anyway the dream to achieve fast speeds for trains will always be something that people will strive for. And

without the consideration of Aerodynamics on the train, the mission will never be achieved.

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6. Economical Efficiency Of The High Speed Train

The High-speed train is so useful for people because that can save money, time and energy. High

speed train is so fast and can cover long distances in a short time. HST is useful in term of weathers

and crowding because it can operate in all conditions and without delaying in time especially in

rush hours. HST has huge capacity and can transport with comfort. HST connect cities with each

other's. HST bring labors to the city from one place to other. HST has a lot of economic impact

like: creating jobs, increasing economic activities, reduce congestion, reduce the dependence on oil,

and expand travel choices. [9]

6.1 Creating new jobs

: Building high speed train creates thousands of jobs. Statistically every 1 billion US dollar invested

in HST creates 24000 jobs. Some of these jobs are skilled jobs which can improve the local rail

industries. A lot of jobs are likely to be created because of the development of economic activities

due to the HST.

6.2 Increasing economic activities:

By investing 1US dollar that will create 4 dollars in economic benefits. The HST services will

connect the country economically and help it to connected, productive and internationally

competitive.

6.3 Reduce congestion:

In some countries the cost of congestion is 140 million US dollars in lost of time and productivities.

In the future the populations will increase and these people cannot prosper due to congestion in the
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roads and governments can satisfies the high demands of building new high ways and airports.

6.4 Reduces the dependence on oil:

By using high speed train that will reduce the oil spending and save a lot of money for the

government because HST is efficient and consumes less oil by eight times as compared from plains

and fourth times as compared to automobiles and that will lead to decrease in the emission of CO2

and improve air quality.

6.5 Expands Travel Choices and Improves Mobility:

High speed train can transport people from one place to another faster than airplane. The HST will

create an integration among all transportation methods and will let work better. It will be another

option for the people for transport

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7. CONCLUSION

In the end, because of the speed and perfect safety of the passengers, high speed train

has become very popular in this world. Most of the countries nowadays are trying to

develop this technology through developing the sectors [tracks, power generation, and

aerodynamics] mentioned above. Interesting study that can be done based on the

review A concept has been proposed by the CEO of SpaceX/Tesla, called

“Hyperloop”, whereby a train will travel through a vacuum space. In this concept the

vacuum space is called the track of the train. So, the speed of the train estimated to 760

mi/h or 1220 km/h (Mach number 1 approximately [11] In many developed countries

this project has started working in full pace. It’s proclaimed by the company that by the

end of summer 2017 the necessary information will be gathered completely to make

the pod [body of the train]. [12] A ground vehicle which is moving at a speed nearly

Mach number 1 is anecdotal. If it [Hyperloop] manages to succeed, then the fairy tales

wouldn’t be myths anymore. People will be living in a world which no one could think

of. Ergo, it is an obligation to the engineers to push “high speed train technology”

further towards its development to make the ground journey more enjoyable and

reliable in this world.

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8. REFERENCE

1. Guang Yang and Zhenmin Tang, The analysis of high-speed wheel-rail train and high-speed maglev

train safety systems, Proceedings of ICSSSM ’05. 2005 International Conference on Services Systems

and Services Management, 2005., 2005, p. 1403–1407 Vol

2. K. Bonsor, How Maglev Trains Work,. [Online]. Available:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines equipment/maglev-train1.htm K. Elissa, “Title of

paper if known,” unpublished. 13 October 2000

3. . J. McCurry, Japan's maglev train breaks world speed record with 600km/h test run, [Online]. Available:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/21/japans-maglev-train-notches-up-new-world-speed-

record-in-test run. 21 April 2015.

4. R. G. Sell, G. E. Prince, and D. Twine, an Experimental Study of the Overhead Contact, Proc. Inst. Mech.

Eng., vol. 179, no. 1, pp. 765–781, 1964.

5. G. a. Covic and J. T. Boys, Inductive Power Transfer, Proc. IEEE, vol. 101, no. 6, pp. 1276–1289, 2013.

6. Unknown, “Electric Traction Power supplies,” Railway Technical webpages. [Online]. Available:

http://www.railway-technical.com/etracp.shtml#Overhead-Line-Catenary

7. J. A. Schetz, aerodynamics of high -speed trains, no. Muhlenberg 1978, pp. 371–414, 2001.

8. R. S. Raghunathan, H. Kim, and T. Setoguchi, Aerodynamics of high-speed railway train, vol. 38. 2002.

9. Midwest High Speed Rail Association, The Economic Impacts of High Speed Rail : Transforming the

Midwest.

10. UIC, High Speed - International Union of Railways (UIC),. [Online]. Available:

http://www.uic.org/highspeed#General-definitions-of-highspeed. 2015

11. . Hyperloop | Wikipedia. [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperloop.

12. Hyperloop | SpaceX. [Online]. Available: http://www.spacex.com/hyperloop.

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