Flow Characteristics of the Ballast Blower for the Prevention a Foreign Object Damage on the Rail Road

선로상 이물질 제거를 위한 자갈날림판 유동특성 연구

The ballast or other objects may be located on the rail road by a lump of ice, repairing operation on the track, or the strong gust due to the high speed running of the train. When a train operated in this condition, it causes serious damages to the wheel, train, and structures near the track, or the secondary ballast flying. To remove these objects safely, a ballast blower is suggested which was attached under the train. Firstly, the numerical analyses are investigated to find out the basic flow characteristics of the ballast blower. Next, the performance of the ballast blower is verified by wind tunnel experiments. Through these studies, it is expected that the ballast blower can be applied practically.