• Wind and Structures
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.109-124
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• 2006

This paper describes the characteristics of the fluctuating lift forces when a circular cylinder vibrates in the cross-flow direction. The response characteristics on elastically supported the circular cylinder was first examined by a free-vibration test. Next, flow-induced vibrations obtained by the free-vibration test were reproduced by a forced-vibration test, and then the characteristics of the fluctuating lift forces, the work done by the fluctuating lift, the behavior of the rolling-up of the separated shear layers were investigated on the basis of the visualized flow patterns. The main findings were that (i) the fluctuating lift forces become considerably large than those of a stationary circular cylinder, (ii) negative pressure generates on the surface of the circular cylinder when the rolling-up of separated shear layer begins, (iii) the phase between the fluctuating lift force and the cylinder displacement changes abruptly as the reduced velocity $U_r$ increases, and (iv) whether the generating cross-flow vibration becomes divergent or convergent can be described based on the work done by the fluctuating lift force. Furthermore, it was found that the generation of cross-flow vibration can be perfectly suppressed when the small tripping rods are installed on the surface of the circular cylinder.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.137-149
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• 2022

In this paper, the fluctuating lift and drag forces on 5:1 rectangular cylinders with two different geometric scales in three turbulent flow-fields are investigated. The study is particularly focused on understanding the influence of the ratio of turbulence integral length scale to structure characteristic dimension (the length scale ratio). The results show that both fluctuating lift and drag forces are influenced by the length scale ratio. For the model with the larger length scale ratio, the corresponding fluctuating force coefficient is larger, while the spanwise correlation is weaker. However, the degree of influence of the length scale ratio on the two fluctuating forces are different. Compared to the fluctuating drag, the fluctuating lift is more sensitive to the variation of the length scale ratio. It is also found through spectral analysis that for the fluctuating lift, the change of length scale ratio mainly leads to the variation in the low frequency part of the loading, while the fluctuating drag generally follows the quasi-steady theory in the low frequency, and the slope of the drag spectrum at high frequencies changes with the length scale ratio. Then based on the experimental data, two empirical formulas considering the influence of length scale ratio are proposed for determining the lift and drag aerodynamic admittances of a 5:1 rectangular cylinder. Furthermore, a simple relationship is established to correlate the turbulence parameter with the fluctuating force coefficient, which could be used to predict the fluctuating force on a 5:1 rectangular cylinder under different parameter conditions.

• International Journal of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.906-919
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• 2015

The Deep Draft Semi-Submersible (DDS) concepts are known for their favourable vertical motion performance. However, the DDS may experience critical Vortex-Induced Motion (VIM) stemming from the fluctuating forces on the columns. In order to investigate the current-induced excitation forces of VIM, an experimental study of flow characteristics around four square-section cylinders in a square configuration is presented. A number of column spacing ratios and array attack angles were considered to investigate the parametric influences. The results comprise flow patterns, drag and lift forces, as well as Strouhal numbers. It is shown that both the drag and lift forces acting on the cylinders are slightly different between the various L/D values, and the fluctuating forces peak at L/D = 4.14. The lift force of downstream cylinders reaches its maximum at around ${\alpha}=15^{\circ}$. Furthermore, the flow around circular-section-cylinder arrays is also discussed in comparison with that of square cylinders.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.305-315
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• 2018

A numerical study based on a delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) is conducted to investigate the aerodynamic mechanism behind the suppression of vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) of twin box girders by central grids, which have an inhibition effect on VIVs, as evidenced by the results of section model wind tunnel tests. The mean aerodynamic force coefficients with different attack angles are compared with experimental results to validate the numerical method. Next, the flow structures around the deck and the aerodynamic forces on the deck are analyzed to enhance the understanding of the occurrence of VIVs and the suppression of VIVs by the application of central grids. The results show that shear layers are separated from the upper railings and lower overhaul track of the upstream girder and induce large-scale vortices in the gap that cause periodical lift forces of large amplitude acting on the downstream girder, resulting in VIVs of the bridge deck. However, the VIVs are apparently suppressed by the central grids because the vortices in the central gap are reduced into smaller vortices and become weaker, causing slightly fluctuating lift forces on the deck. In addition, the mean lift force on the deck is mainly caused by the upstream girder, whereas the fluctuating lift force is mainly caused by the downstream girder.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.143-155
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• 2016

The interaction between two different shaped structures is very important to be understood. Fluid-structure interactions and aerodynamics of a circular cylinder in the wake of a V-shaped cylinder are examined experimentally, including forces, shedding frequencies, lock-in process, etc., with the V-shaped cylinder width d varying from d/D = 0.6 to 2, where D is the circular cylinder diameter. While the streamwise separation between the circular cylinder and V-shaped cylinder was 10D fixed, the transverse distance T between them was varied from T/D = 0 to 1.5. While fluid force and shedding frequency of the circular cylinder were measured using a load cell installed in the circular cylinder, measurement of shedding frequency of the V-shaped cylinder was done by a hotwire. The major findings are: (i) a larger d begets a larger velocity deficit in the wake; (ii) with increase in d/D, the lock-in between the shedding from the two cylinders is centered at d/D = 1.1, occurring at $d/D{\approx}0.95-1.35$ depending on T/D; (iii) at a given T/D, when d/D is increased, the fluctuating lift grows and reaches a maximum before decaying; the d/D corresponding to the maximum fluctuating lift is dependent on T/D, and the relationship between them is linear, expressed as $d/D=1.2+{\frac{1}{e}}T/D$; that is, a larger d/D corresponds to a greater T/D for the maximum fluctuating lift.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.501-528
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• 2017

In this work, wind tunnel tests of pressure measurements are carried out to assess the global aerodynamic interference factors, the local wind pressure interference factors, and the local lift spectra of an square high-rise building interfered by an identical cross-sections but lower height building arranged in various relative positions. The results show that, when the interfering building is located in an area of oblique upstream, the RMS of the along-wind, across-wind, and torsional aerodynamic forces on the test building increase significantly, and when it is located to a side, the mean across-wind and torsional aerodynamic forces increase; In addition, when the interfering building is located upstream or staggered upstream, the mean wind pressures on the sheltered windward side turn form positive to negative and with a maximum absolute value of up to 1.75 times, and the fluctuating wind pressures on the sheltered windward side and leading edge of the side increase significantly with decreasing spacing ratio (up to a maximum of 3.5 times). When it is located to a side, the mean and fluctuating wind pressures on the leading edge of inner side are significantly increased. The three-dimensional flow around a slightly-shorter disturbing building has a great effect on the average and fluctuating wind pressures on the windward or cross-wind faces. When the disturbing building is near to the test building, the vortex shedding peak in the lift spectra decreases and there are no obvious signs of periodicity, however, the energies of the high frequency components undergo an obvious increase.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.475-483
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• 2020

This work investigates Reynolds number Re (= 50 - 200) effects on the flows around a single cylinder and the two tandem (center-to-center spacing L^⁎= L/D = 4) cylinders, each of a diameter D. Vorticity structures, Strouhal numbers, and time-mean and fluctuating forces are presented and discussed. For the single cylinder, with increasing Re in the range examined, the vorticity magnitude, Strouhal number and fluctuating lift all monotonically rise but time-mean drag, vortex formation length, and lateral distance between the two rows of vortices all shrink. For the two tandem cylinders, the increase in Re leads to the formation of three distinct flows, namely reattachment flow (50 ≤ Re ≤ 75), transition flow (75 < Re < 100), and coshedding flow (100 ≤ Re ≤ 200). The reattachment flow at Re = 50 is steady. When Re is increased from 75 to 200, the Strouhal number of the two cylinders, jumping from 0.113 to 0.15 in the transition flow regime, swells to 0.188. The two-cylinder flow is more sensitive to Re than the single cylinder flow. Fluctuating lift is greater for the downstream cylinder than the upstream cylinder while time-mean drag is higher for the upstream cylinder than for the other. The time-mean drags of the upstream cylinder and single cylinder behaves similar to each other, both declining with increasing Re.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.379-397
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• 2013

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) were carried out to investigate the aerodynamic characteristics of a rectangular cylinder with side ratio B/D=5 at Reynolds number Re=22,000 (based on cylinder thickness). Particular attention was devoted to the effects of velocity shear in the oncoming flow. Time-averaged and unsteady flow patterns around the cylinder were studied to enhance understanding of the effects of velocity shear. The simulation results showed that the Strouhal number has no significant variation with oncoming velocity shear, while the peak fluctuation frequency of the drag coefficient becomes identical to that of the lift coefficient with increase in velocity shear. The intermittently-reattached flow that features the aerodynamics of the 5:1 rectangular cylinder in non-shear flow becomes more stably reattached on the high-velocity side, and more stably separated on the low-velocity side. Both the mean and fluctuating drag coefficients increase slightly with increase in velocity shear. The mean and fluctuating lift and moment coefficients increase almost linearly with velocity shear. Lift force acts from the high-velocity side to the low-velocity side, which is similar to that of a circular cylinder but opposite to that of a square cylinder under the same oncoming shear flow.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.55-66
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• 2022

Tall buildings are often subjected to steady and unsteady forces due to external wind flows. Measurement and mitigation of these forces becomes critical to structural design in engineering applications. Over the last few decades, many approaches such as modification of the external geometry of structures have been investigated to mitigate wind-induced load. One such proven geometric modification involved the rounding of sharp corners. In this work, we systematically analyze the impact of rounded corner radii on the reducing the flow-induced loading on a square cylinder. We perform 3-Dimensional (3D) simulations for high Reynolds number flows (Re=1 × 105) which are more likely to be encountered in practical applications. An Improved Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (IDDES) method capable of capturing flow accurately at large Reynolds numbers is employed in this study. The IDDES formulation uses a k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) model for near-wall modelling that prevents mesh-induced separation of the boundary layer. The effects of these corner modifications are analyzed in terms of the resulting variations in the mean and fluctuating components of the aerodynamic forces compared to a square cylinder with no geometric changes. Plots of the angular distribution of the mean and fluctuating coefficient of pressure along the square cylinder's surface illustrate the effects of corner modifications on the different parts of the cylinder. The windward corner's separation angle was observed to decrease with an increase in radius, resulting in a narrower and longer recirculation region. Furthermore, with an increase in radius, a reduction in the fluctuating lift, mean drag, and fluctuating drag coefficients has been observed.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.38 no.10
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• pp.859-864
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• 2014

This experimental study investigates the effects of a downstream cylinder in the wake change on upstream object's diameter. A V-shaped object is placed in the upstream of the test section and a circular cylinder containing a load-cell is placed in the downstream. The velocity distribution of the wake generated from the upstream object with a change in its diameter is investigated. Further, the fluctuation in the lift coefficient and Karman-vortex emission frequency with a change in the position of the downstream cylinder is examined. The study results reveal the following. i) The flow velocity in the wake is smaller than that in the main stream. ii) The lock-in phenomenon occurs when the diameter of the upstream object is larger than that of the downstream cylinder. iii) To generate maximum fluctuating lift force of the downstream cylinder in the wake, the position of the downstream cylinder must be moved with changing diameter of the upstream object together.