Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education
April 8th to 10th 2013
As the speed of passenger and freight trains increase, aerodynamic effects become increasingly important in the study of a number of effects including
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aerodynamic drag and energy consumption in the open air and in tunnels;
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pressure transients in tunnels;
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micro pressure waves at tunnel portals;
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pressure loading on trackside structures;
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the effects of train induced airflow on passengers and trackside workers;
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the displacement of ballast beneath the train;
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the effects of cross winds;
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overhead line and pantograph performance;
Around the world there is much activity in this area, driven by the design of new types and concepts of trains, and by the needs for standardisation. However the railway aerodynamics community is a relatively small one, and there is no regular international forum where researchers and practitioners can meet to exchange recent results and ideas. The International Workshop on Railway Aerodynamics, to be held in Birmingham from the 8th to the 10th of April 2013, will give an ideal opportunity for such exchanges.
In broad terms, the workshop will be structured into a small number of keynote presentations, paper presentation sessions suitably grouped within the above themes, and informal discussions sessions. Prospective delegates are invited to submit four page extended abstracts of recent and ongoing work in all aspects of railway aerodynamics for oral presentation. The discussion sessions will focus on a number of cross cutting themes such as the following.
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Physical model testing in railway aerodynamics – current status and developments
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The use of CFD in railway aerodynamics – current status and developments
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The use of full scale measurements
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Standardisation and codification.
It is envisaged at this stage that the workshop will begin with lunch on Monday 8th April and will end after lunch on Wednesday 10th April – this however is still subject to confirmation. After the workshop selected papers will be invited to be submitted in a full length form for publication, after review, to a suitable journal.
Location and accommodation
The workshop will be held on the campus of the University of Birmingham, in the Gisbert Kapp building which houses the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education – see the map at http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/contact/directions/index.aspx.
The campus is to the south of the centre, but is easily accessible by rail, with a service every 10 minutes from the main Birmingham City Centre station to the University station. Birmingham International Airport, to the east of the city centre has regular international flights to a variety of European destinations, including the hub airports in Amsterdam and Paris, and again is easily accessible by rail and road links from the City and the University.
Delegates of a range of different types of accommodation (pdf) both on and close to the University campus and in city centre hotels. Delegates can thus choose the type of accommodation that best meets their needs .
Papers
Click here for the four page extended abstracts template (doc). The abstracts should be submitted by January 31st 2013, and delegates will be notified of acceptance early in February 2013.
These four page abstracts will be given to all conference delegates in a hard copy and electronic formats. After the workshop a number of abstracts will be selected for preparation as full papers that will be published in a Special Edition of the Proceedings of the IMechE Part F – Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit
Costs and registration
The price of the workshop has been kept as low as possible to encourage as many as possible to attend. Details of costs and payment methods can be found at the online shop .
The registration fee will cover buffet lunches on the 8th, 9th and 10th of April, tea and coffee during the course of the workshop, an evening reception of April 8th and the conference dinner on April 9th.
Further details will be posted here as they become available. If you wish to receive further updates concerning the organisation of the workshop please contact
Professor Chris Baker
Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education
Gisbert Kapp Building
Birmingham
Phone +44 (0) 121 414 5067
E mail c.j.baker@bham.ac.uk