Suction and Action Mechanisms of Flow Field in a Super-Large Cooling Tower in Typhoon Conditions
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147, Issue 9
Abstract
Wind load is the designed control load for super-large cooling tower (SLCT) structures. Studies on wind resistance of those structures have focused mainly on normal winds, not on the influence of strong typhoons, or in particular the values of suction. To study the suction distribution and action mechanism of flow fields in an SLCT in typhoon conditions, in this study a high temporal–spatial resolution simulation of Typhoon Megi was done using a mesoscale weather research and forecasting (WRF) model with a multiple nesting structure. The wind velocity profile in the simulated region was gained through least squares fit. The research object was the world’s highest cooling tower (220 m) at the Lu’an power plant in Shanxi Province, China. Three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) wind field simulations of this tower in normal-wind and typhoon conditions were done based on a mesoscale–microscale nesting technology. A comparative analysis on the 3D effect of wind loads on the internal surface of an SLCT in a typhoon was also done, as was a summary of the meridian and circumferential distribution laws of the internal pressure coefficients. Differences on flow field characteristics, pressure coefficients, drag coefficients, and wind resistance in the tower structure in normal-wind and typhoon conditions and relative causes were investigated. Finally, the recommended values of suction in an SLCT in typhoon conditions are proposed. Results demonstrate that a WRF–CFD coupling model can effectively simulate the near-surface 3D wind field of an SLCT in typhoon conditions. Compared with a normal wind, the high wind velocity and strong turbulence of a typhoon causes larger-scale vortices inside the cooling tower, a more turbulent airflow on the leeward side, and a longer development area of vortices. In typhoon conditions, the internal pressure coefficient of the tower increased when the ventilation rate of the louver was 15%, 30%, and 100%. The overall internal pressure coefficient was found to be , , , and when the ventilation rates of the louver are 0%, 15%, 30%, and 100%, respectively.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This project is jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation (51878351, 51761165022, and U1733129) and the Jiangsu Province Outstanding Natural Science Foundation (BK20160083). The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.
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Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 147 • Issue 9 • September 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 7, 2020
Accepted: Apr 14, 2021
Published online: Jun 22, 2021
Published in print: Sep 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Nov 22, 2021
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