Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/was.2010.13.1.021

Computational assessment of blockage and wind simulator proximity effects for a new full-scale testing facility  

Bitsuamlak, Girma T. (Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research, International Hurricane Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University)
Dagnew, Agerneh (Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research, International Hurricane Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University)
Chowdhury, Arindam Gan (Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research, International Hurricane Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Florida International University)
Publication Information
Wind and Structures / v.13, no.1, 2010 , pp. 21-36 More about this Journal
Abstract
A new full scale testing apparatus generically named the Wall of Wind (WoW) has been built by the researchers at the International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) at Florida International University (FIU). WoW is capable of testing single story building models subjected up to category 3 hurricane wind speeds. Depending on the relative model and WoW wind field sizes, testing may entail blockage issues. In addition, the proximity of the test building to the wind simulator may also affect the aerodynamic data. This study focuses on the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) assessment of the effects on the quality of the aerodynamic data of (i) blockage due to model buildings of various sizes and (ii) wind simulator proximity for various distances between the wind simulator and the test building. The test buildings were assumed to have simple parallelepiped shapes. The computer simulations were performed under both finite WoW wind-field conditions and in an extended Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) wind flow. Mean pressure coefficients for the roof and the windward and leeward walls served as measures of the blockage and wind simulator proximity effects. The study uses the commercial software FLUENT with Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations and a Renormalization Group (RNG) k-${\varepsilon}$ turbulence model. The results indicated that for larger size test specimens (i.e. for cases where the height of test specimen is larger than one third of the wind field height) blockage correction may become necessary. The test specimen should also be placed at a distance greater than twice the height of the test specimen from the fans to reduce proximity effect.
Keywords
full scale testing; blockage; wind simulator proximity; CFD; pressure coefficient; turbulence;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 12  (Citation Analysis)
Times Cited By Web Of Science : 2  (Related Records In Web of Science)
Times Cited By SCOPUS : 3
연도 인용수 순위
1 Gan Chowdhury, A., Bitsuamlak, G.T. and Simiu, E. (2009a), "Aerodynamic, hydro-aerodynamic, and destructive testing", J. Struct. Build., accepted for publication.
2 Gan Chowdhury, A., Simiu, E. and Leatherman, S.P. (2009b), "Destructive Testing under Simulated Hurricane Effects to Promote Hazard Mitigation", Nat. Hazards Review J. ASCE, 10(1), 1-10.   DOI   ScienceOn
3 Hangan, H. and Kim, J.D. (2008), "Swirl ratio effects on tornado vortices in relation to the Fujita scale", Wind Struct., 11(4), 291-302.   DOI
4 Holscher, N. and Niemann, H.J. (1998), "Towards quality assurance for wind tunnel tests: A comparative testing program of the Windtechnologische Gesellschaft", J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 74, 599-608.   DOI   ScienceOn
5 Huang, H., Kato, S. and Ooka, R. (2006), "CFD analysis of ventilation efficiency around an elevated highway using visitation frequency and purging flow rate", Wind Struct., 9(4), 297-313.   DOI
6 Huang, P., Gan Chowdhury, A., Bitsuamlak, G.T. and Liu, R. (2009), "Development of Devices and Methods for Simulation of Hurricane Winds in a Full-Scale Testing Facility", Wind Struct., 12(2), 151-177.   DOI
7 Huang, P., Liu, R., Gan Chowdhury, A., Bitsuamlak, G., Erwin, J. and Ahmed, S.S. (2008), "Turbulence Simulation of Small-Scale Wall of Wind Flows", Proc. of the 4th Int. Conf. on Advances in Wind and Structures, Jeju, Korea.
8 Jiang, D., Jiang, W., Liu, H. and Sun, J. (2008), "Systematic influence of different building spacing, height and layout on mean wind and turbulent characteristics within and over urban building arrays", Wind Struct., 11(4), 275-289.   DOI
9 Lam, K.M. and To, A.P. (2006), "Reliability of numerical computation of pedestrian-level wind environment around a row of tall buildings", Wind Struct., 9(6), 473-492.   DOI
10 Lin, W.E. and Savory, E. (2006), "Large-scale quasi-steady modelling of a downburst outflow using a slot jet", Wind Struct., 9(6), 419-440.   DOI
11 Lim, C.H., Thomas, T.G. and Castro, I.P. (2009), "Flow around a cube in a turbulent boundary layer: LES and experiment", J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 97, 96-109.   DOI   ScienceOn
12 Merrick, R. and Bitsuamlak, G.T. (2008), "Control of flow around a circular cylinder by the use of surface roughness", 4th Int. Conf., Advances on Wind and Structures (AWAS08), Jeju, Korea.
13 Moonen, P., Blocken, B. and Carmeliet, J. (2006), "Numerical modeling of the flow conditions in a closedcircuit low-speed wind tunnel", J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 94, 966-23.
14 Moonen, P., Blocken, B. and Carmeliet, J. (2007), "Indicator for the evaluation of wind tunnel test section flow quality and application to a numerical closed-circuit wind tunnel", J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 94, 1289-1314.
15 Murakami, S. and Mochida, A. (1988), "3-D numerical simulation of airflow around a cubic model by means of the k-$\varepsilon$ model" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 31, 283-303.   DOI
16 Okajima, A., Yi, D., Sakuda, A. and Nakano, T. (1997), "umerical study of blockage effects on aerodynamic characteristics of an oscillating rectangular cylinder" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 67&68, 91-102
17 Richards, P.J., Hoxey, R.P., Connell, B.D. and Lander, D.P. (2007), "ind-tunnel modelling of the Silsoe Cube" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 95, 1384-1399.   DOI   ScienceOn
18 Selvam, S.P. (1997), "omputation of pressures on Texas Tech university building using large eddy simulation" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 67&68, 647-657.
19 Sengupta, A. and Sarkar, P.P. (2008), "xperimental measurement and numerical simulation of an impinging jet with application to thunderstorm microburst winds" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 96(3), 345-365.   DOI   ScienceOn
20 Stathopoulos, T. (1997), "omputational wind engineering: Past achievements and future challenges" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 67-68, 509-532.   DOI   ScienceOn
21 Stathopoulos, T. (2003), "ind loads on low buildings: in the wake of Alan Davenport's contributions" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 91(12-15), 1565-1585.   DOI   ScienceOn
22 Stathopoulos, T. and Wu, H. (2004), "sing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for pedestrian winds" Proc. of the 2004 Structures Congress, Nashville, TN.
23 Tamura, T., Nozawa, K. and Kondo, K. (2008), "IJ guide for numerical prediction of wind loads on buildings" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 96, 1974-1984.   DOI   ScienceOn
24 Tamura, T. (2006), "owards practical use of LES in wind engineering" The fourth Int. Symp. in Computational Wind Engineering (CWE2006), Yokohama, Japan.
25 Tominaga, Y., Mochida, A., Murakami, S. and Sawaki, S. (2008a), "omparison of various revised k-$\varepsilon$ models and LES applied to flow around a high-rise building model with 1:1:2 shape placed within the surface boundary layer" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 96(4), 389-411.
26 Tominaga, Y., Mochida, A., Yoshie, R., Kataoka, H., Nozu,T., Yoshikawa, M. and Shirasawa, T. (2008b), "IJ guidelines for practical applications of CFD to pedestrian wind environment around buildings" J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 96, 1749-1761.   DOI   ScienceOn
27 Tutar, M. and Celik, I. (2007), "arge eddy simulation of a square cylinder flow: Modelling of inflow turbulence" Wind Struct., 10(6), 511-532.   DOI
28 Wright, N.G. and Easom, G.J. (2003), "on-linear k-$\varepsilon$ turbulence model results for flow over a building at fullscale" Appl. Math. Model., 27(12), 1013-1033.   DOI   ScienceOn
29 Zhang, N., Jiang, W. and Miao, S. (2006), " large eddy simulation on the effect of buildings on urban flows" Wind Struct., 9(1), 23-35.   DOI
30 Bitsuamlak, G.T. (2006), "Application of computational wind engineering: A practical perspective", Third National Conf. in Wind Engineering, January 5-7, Kolkata, India.
31 Blocken, B. and Carmeliet, J. (2008), "Pedestrian wind conditions at outdoor platforms in a high-rise apartment building: generic sub-configuration validation, wind comfort assessment and uncertainty issues", Wind Struct., 11(1), 51-70.   DOI
32 Bitsuamlak, G.T., Gan Chowdhury, A. and Sambare, D. (2009), "Application of a full-scale testing facility for assessing wind-driven rain intrusion", Build. Environ., 44, 2430-2441.   DOI   ScienceOn
33 Bitsuamlak, G.T., Stathopoulos, T. and Bédard, C. (2006), "Effect of upstream hills on design wind load: a computational approach", Wind Struct., 9(1), 37-58.   DOI
34 Bitsuamlak, G.T., Stathopoulos, T. and Bédard, C. (2004), "Numerical evaluation of turbulent flows over complex terrains: A review", J. Aerospace Eng., 17(4), 135-145.   DOI   ScienceOn
35 Blocken, B. and Carmeliet, J. (2004), "A Review of Wind-driven Rain Research in Building Science", J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 92(13), 1079-1130.   DOI   ScienceOn
36 Camarri, S., Salvetti, M.V., Koobus, B. and Dervieux, A. (2005), "Hybrid RANS/LES simulations of a bluffbody flow", Wind Struct., 8(6), 407-426.   과학기술학회마을   DOI
37 Chang, C. (2006), "Computational fluid dynamics simulation of pedestrian wind in urban area with the effects of tree", Wind Struct., 9(2), 147-158.   DOI
38 Choi, E.C.C. (2000), "Variation of Wind-driven Rain Intensity with Building Orientation", J. Arch. Eng., 6, 122–130.   DOI   ScienceOn
39 Costola, D., Blocken, B. and Hensen, J.L.M. (2009), "Overview of pressure coefficient data in building energy simulation and airflow network programs", Build. Environ., 44, 2027-2036.   DOI   ScienceOn
40 El-Okda, Y.M., Ragab, S.A. and Hajj, M.R. (2008), "Large-eddy simulation of flow over a surface-mounted prism using a high-order finite-difference scheme", J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerod., 96(6-7), 900-912   DOI   ScienceOn
41 Franke, J., Hellsten, A., Schlunzen, H. and Carissimo, B. (2007), Best practice guideline for the CFD simulation of flows in the urban environment, COST Office Brussels, ISBN 3-00-018312-4.