Aerosleeper

Aerodynamic railway sleeper. New design.

As a result of the project “Aurígidas: Study of train-track aerodynamic behavior at speeds above 300 km / h. The ballast lifting phenomenon. ”A new type of sleeper has been designed.

The Aerosleeper, due to its geometric shape, modifies the speed field on the ballast in the area between sleepers and minimizes the presence of ballast particles on them.

Advantages compared to the current sleeper
  • Reduces downforce by 21% in the space immediately above the ballast bed.
  • Its use enables a 12% increase in train operating speed.
  • The downforce caused at 330 km / h by the current sleeper would be equivalent to that generated by the Aerosleeper at 370 km / h.
  • Its design allows to increase the distance between the ballast dimension and the upper face of the sleeper.
  • Its implementation does not entail higher manufacturing or handling costs.
General characteristicss Highlighted paragraph
  • Reduces the flat surface of the upper face of the sleeper.
  • Improved aerodynamic performance.

This new development makes it possible to increase the operating speed of high-speed lines and reduce the number of impacts of ballast particles on the underside of the train or infrastructure elements.

Aerosleeper Fluid Dynamic Analysis (CFD)
  • Decrease in downforce on the upper face of the sleeper.
  • Decrease in downforce on the ballast bed.
Aerosleeper validation areaa

The functionality of the Aerosleeper was verified in a section of the Madrid-Barcelona High Speed Line, specifically in the PK69 + 500, where the Brihuega High Speed Testing Center is located.

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