Analysis of drag reduction and flow characteristics induced by surface micro-structures on maglev train surfaces

Zijian Guo, Jianyue Zhu, Zhengwei Chen, Dinggang Gao, Chen Chen, Junqi Xu, National Maglev Transportation Engineering Research and Development Center, College of Transportation, Tongji University, Key Laboratory of Road and Traffic Engineering of the Ministry of Education, College of Transportation, Tongji University, Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety on Track of Ministry of Education, School of Traffic , Transportation Engineering, Central South University

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit

Published online on July 18, 2026

Abstract

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, Ahead of Print.
Surface microstructures have shown potential for drag reduction, but their effectiveness on maglev trains remains unclear. This study numerically investigates a 1:20-scale TR08 maglev train with hemispherical dimples arranged on either the streamlined ...