Shock wave behavior and aerodynamic load in maglev-equipped evacuated tubes: Effects of blockage ratio

• Higher blockage ratios intensify shock waves in evacuated tubes, while larger tunnel areas mitigate this effect, improving flow structure and wake behavior. • Reducing the blockage ratio from 0.253 to 0.121 decreases the total drag coefficient of the entire train by 46.2%, with head and tail carriage drag coefficients dropping by 23.3% and 32.7%, respectively. • The drag contribution shifts from the head carriage (decreasing from 51.1% to 40.9%) to the tail carriage (increasing from 47.0% to 56.6%) as blockage ratio decreases. • The study provides critical insights for optimizing evacuated tube transportation design to enhance aerodynamic performance and energy efficiency.