• Wind and Structures
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.101-129
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• 2017

Local transient extreme wind loads caused by group tower-related interference are among the major reasons that lead to wind-induced damage of super-large cooling towers. Four-tower arrangements are the most commonly seen patterns for super-large cooling towers. We considered five typical four-tower arrangements in engineering practice, namely, single row, rectangular, rhombic, L-shaped, and oblique L-shaped. Wind tunnel tests for rigid body were performed to determine the influence of different arrangements on static and dynamic wind loads and extreme interference effect. The most unfavorable working conditions (i.e., the largest overall wind loads) were determined based on the overall aerodynamic coefficient under different four-tower arrangements. Then we calculated the one-, two- and three-dimensional aerodynamic loads under different four-tower arrangements. Statistical analyses were performed on the wind pressure signals in the amplitude and time domains under the most unfavorable working conditions. On this basis, the non-Gaussian distribution characteristics of aerodynamic loads on the surface of the cooling towers under different four-tower arrangements were analyzed. We applied the Sadek-Simiu procedure to the calculation of two- and three-dimensional aerodynamic loads in the cooling towers under the four-tower arrangements, and the extreme wind load distribution patterns under the most unfavorable working conditions in each arrangement were compared. Finally, we proposed a uniform equation for fitting the extreme wind loads under the four-tower arrangements; the accuracy and reliability of the equation were verified. Our research findings will contribute to the optimization of the four-tower arrangements and the determination of extreme wind loads of super-large cooling towers.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.609-622
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• 2015

This study presents a dynamic response analysis of operational and parked wind turbines in order to gain better understanding of the roles of wind loads on turbine blades and tower in the generation of turbine response. The results show that the wind load on the tower has a negligible effect on the blade responses of both operational and parked turbines. Its effect on the tower response is also negligible for operational turbine, but is significant for parked turbine. The tower extreme responses due to the wind loads on blades and tower of parked turbine can be estimated separately and then combined for the estimation of total tower extreme response. In current wind turbine design practice, the tower extreme response due to the wind loads on blades is often represented as a static response under an equivalent static load in terms of a concentrated force and a moment at the tower top. This study presents an improved equivalent static load model with additional distributed inertial force on tower, and introduces the square-root-of-sum-square combination rule, which is shown to provide a better prediction of tower extreme response.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.497-500
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• 2000

This paper describes the procedures to estimate for the design thermal loads on prestressed concrete box girder bridges on th basis of the extreme analysis of the temperature data obtained from long-term thermal analyses. Long-term thermal analyses using the environmental data for three years were conducted, and the extreme distributions of th thermal loads are then determined by the tail-equivalence method, and the thermal loads corresponding to selected return period are calculated. Finally, the results are compared to the specifications suggested in a current design code for thermal loads.

• Journal of Wind Energy
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2014

The structural design of a wind turbine must show the verification of the structural integrity of all load-carrying components. Also, design load calculations shall be performed using appropriate and accurate methods. In this study, advanced numerical approach for the calculation of design loads based on unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is presented considering extreme design load conditions such as the extreme coherent gust (ECG) and the 50 year extreme operating gust (EOG). Unsteady aerodynamic loads are calculated based on Reynolds average Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with shear-stress transport k-ω(SST k-ω) turbulent model. A full three-dimensional 5 MW offshore wind-turbine model with rotating blades, hub, nacelle, and tower configuration is practically considered and its aerodynamic interference effect among blades, nacelle, and tower is also accurately considered herein. Calculated blade loads based on unsteady CFD method with respect to blade azimuth angle are compared with those by NREL FAST code and physically investigated in detail.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.191-204
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• 2018

This article presents a study of the largest-ever (height = 220 m) cooling tower using the large eddy simulation (LES) method. Information about fluid fields around the tower and 3D aerodynamic time history in full construction process were obtained, and the wind pressure distribution along the entire tower predicted by the developed model was compared with standard curves and measured curves to validate the effectiveness of the simulating method. Based on that, average wind pressure distribution and characteristics of fluid fields in the construction process of ultra-large cooling tower were investigated. The characteristics of fluid fields in full construction process and their working principles were investigated based on wind speeds and vorticities under different construction conditions. Then, time domain characteristics of ultra-large cooling towers in full construction process, including fluctuating wind loads, extreme wind loads, lift and drag coefficients, and relationship of measuring points, were studied and fitting formula of extreme wind load as a function of height was developed based on the nonlinear least square method. Additionally, the frequency domain characteristics of wind loads on the constructing tower, including wind pressure power spectrum at typical measuring points, lift and drag power spectrum, circumferential correlations between typical measuring points, and vertical correlations of lift coefficient and drag coefficient, were analyzed. The results revealed that the random characteristics of fluctuating wind loads, as well as corresponding extreme wind pressure and power spectra curves, varied significantly and in real time with the height of the constructing tower. This study provides references for design of wind loads during construction period of ultra-large cooling towers.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.135-140
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• 2006

Numerical computations are made to predict wave loads on a vertical cylinder in an extreme wave. To generate the extreme wave, a frequency-focused unidirectional wave is adopted in three-dimensional numerical wave tank. The mathematical formulation is wide in the scope of the potential theory with fully nonlinear free surface conditions. As a numerical method, finite element method based on variational principle is applied. Comparisons between the present numerical results and the previous computation data. show a good agreement.

• Coupled systems mechanics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.89-110
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• 2014

In this work we provide the theoretical formulation, discrete approximation and solution algorithm for instability problems combing geometric instability at large displacements and material instability due to softening under combined thermo-mechanical extreme loads. While the proposed approach and its implementation are sufficiently general to apply to vast majority of structural mechanics models, more detailed developments are provided for truss-bar model. Several numerical simulations are presented in order to illustrate a very satisfying performance of the proposed methodology.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.83-94
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• 2010

Wind tunnel measurements on T-shaped free-standing walls and inclined free-standing walls have been carried out. Mean net pressure coefficients have been derived and compared with previous research. It was observed that the high loads at the free ends are differently distributed than those derived from the pressure coefficients for free-standing walls in EN 1991-1-4. In addition net pressure coefficients based on extreme value analysis have been obtained. The lack of correlation of the wind induced pressures at windward and leeward side result in lower values for the net pressure coefficients when based on extreme value analysis. The results of this wind tunnel study have been included in Dutch guidelines for noise barriers.

• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
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• v.31 no.1 s.117
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• pp.21-27
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• 2007

The wave load and its influence on the response of offshore structure have been well investigated through the statistical approach based on the linear theory. The linear approach has a limitation to apply the extreme condition such as extreme wave, which corresponds to extreme value of wave spectrum. The main topic of present study is to develop an efficient numerical method to predict wave load induced by extreme wave. As a numerical method, finite element method based on variational principle is adopted. The frequency-focusing method is applied to generate the extreme wave in the numerical wave tank. The wave load on the bottom mounted vertical cylinder is investigated. The hydroelastic response of the vertical cylinder is also investigated so as to compare the wave loads with the rigid body case in the extreme wave condition.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.421-435
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• 2022

To investigate the non-Gaussian properties of fluctuating wind pressures and the error margin of extreme wind loads on a long-span curved roof with matching and mismatching ratios of turbulence integral scales to depth (L_u^x/D), a series of synchronized pressure tests on the rigid model of the complex curved roof were conducted. The regions of Gaussian distribution and non-Gaussian distribution were identified by two criteria, which were based on the cumulative probabilities of higher-order statistical moments (skewness and kurtosis coefficients, S_k and K_u) and spatial correlation of fluctuating wind pressures, respectively. Then the characteristics of fluctuating wind-loads in the non-Gaussian region were analyzed in detail in order to understand the effects of turbulence integral-scale. Results showed that the fluctuating pressures with obvious negative-skewness appear in the area near the leading edge, which is categorized as the non-Gaussian region by both two identification criteria. Comparing with those in the wind field with matching L_u^x/D, the range of non-Gaussian region almost unchanged with a smaller L_u^x/D, while the non-Gaussian features become more evident, leading to higher values of S_k, Ku and peak factor. On contrary, the values of fluctuating pressures become lower in the wind field with a smaller L_u^x/D, eventually resulting in underestimation of extreme wind loads. Hence, the matching relationship of turbulence integral scale to depth should be carefully considered as estimating the extreme wind loads of long-span roof by wind tunnel tests.