Numerical Simulation of Airflow Pressure Distributions along Insulator Surface for Electric High-speed Locomotive

The aerodynamic effects around the electric high-speed locomotive could cause the airflow pressure variations along the surface of pantograph supporting insulator, and thus would influence the surface dielectric behavior of insulator. Based on the computational fluid dynamics governed compressible Navier-Stokes equation, numerical simulations were carried out by finite element method. The airflow pressure distributions around the insulator at four different airflow velocities have been studied. The results showed that the airflow pressure increased near the windward of insulator but decreased near the sideward of insulator, and that the variations of airflow pressure were closely associated with the shapes of insulator shed. The airflow pressure distribution around and/or along the surfaces of two insulator models with the different shapes have also been presented comparatively. According to the distributions of low airflow pressure region, the possible discharge or flashover path of insulator for electric high-speed locomotive was suggested finally