Cooling High-Speed Railway Slab Tracks with Solar Reflective Coatings: A Feasibility Study
Weixin Kang, Pengxin Li, Jian Chen, Hu Meng, Rongshan Yang, Xueyi Liu
Abstract
The slab track temperature is significant with respect to the safety of the vehicle. The objective of this study was to investigate the cooling effects of solar reflective coatings (SRCs) on slab tracks. Two types of coatings were applied in the outdoor environment, and a model considering reflective coatings was subsequently established. The coatings decreased the maximum temperature and maximum temperature gradient by 8°C-12°C and 20°C/m-30°C/m, respectively. The albedo of an SRC on a slab track was suggested to be greater than 0.6. The coatings exhibited superior cooling effects in case the wind scale was lower than Level 2.
Topics & Concepts
SlabTrack (disk drive)Materials scienceComposite materialAlbedo (alchemy)Urban heat islandStructural engineeringOpticsEnvironmental scienceMeteorologyMechanical engineeringEngineeringPhysicsArtPerformance artArt historyAerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics ResearchRailway Engineering and DynamicsVehicle emissions and performance