Improved Experimental Simulation of Wind Characteristics around Tall Buildings
Publication: Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 4
Abstract
A wind-tunnel study has been carried out to investigate the effects of the barrier wall and surface roughness on the simulated atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) flow generated using the Counihan method, (i.e., the castellated barrier wall, vortex generators, and surface roughness elements). Experimental results indicate that changing the basic barrier height does not influence the mean-velocity profiles. However, turbulence intensity and absolute values of the Reynolds stress increase with an increase in the barrier height, and simultaneously the integral length scales of turbulence decrease. Variations in the height of the barrier castellation influence the simulated ABL flow similarly to the changes in the basic barrier height. Empirical relations were derived to quantify effects of the surface roughness height on the simulated ABL flows. Increasing the height of surface roughness elements results in a larger velocity defect and stronger turbulence in the near-ground region.
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Acknowledgments
This study was carried out at the Institute of Aerodynamics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universität München (TUM). The support of the Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU) is gratefully acknowledged. The author acknowledges many helpful discussions with Professor Boris Laschka, Dr. Albert Pernpeintner, and Dr. Joseph Fischer. Special thanks are expressed to the TUM departmental technical staff for manufacturing the simulation hardware.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Aerospace Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 4 • October 2012
Pages: 670 - 679
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 16, 2011
Accepted: Sep 26, 2011
Published online: Mar 1, 2012
Published in print: Oct 1, 2012
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