Non-Gaussian characteristics and extreme distribution of fluctuating wind pressures on large cylindrical-conical steel cooling towers

Heliostat is the key part of Solar Tower power station, which requires extremely high accuracy in use. But it’s sensitive to gust because of its light structure, so effect of wind load should be taken into account in design. Since structure of heliostat is unusual and different from common ones, experimental investigation on rigid heliostat model using technology of surface pressure mensuration to test 3-dimensional wind loads in wind tunnel was conducted. The paper illustrates distribution and characteristics of reflector’s mean and fluctuating wind pressure while wind direction angle varied from 0° to 180° and vertical angle varied from 0° to 90°. Moreover, a finite element model was constructed to perform calculation on wind-induced dynamic response. The results show that the wind load power spectral change rulers are influenced by longitudinal wind turbulence and vortex and are related with Strouhal number; the fluctuating wind pressures between face and back mainly appear positive correlation, and the correlation coefficients at longitudinal wind direction are smaller than those at lateral direction; the fluctuating wind pressures preferably agree with Gaussian distribution at smaller vertical angle and wind direction angle. The wind-induced response and its spectrums reveal that: when vertical angle is small, the background responsive values of reflector’s different parts are approximately similar; in addition, multi-phased resonant response occurring at the bottom. With the increase of , airflow separates at the near side and reunites at the other, as produces vortex which enhances dynamic response at the upper part.

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Influences of Wind Barriers on the Train Running Safety on a Highway-Railway One-Story Bridge

International Journal of Structural Stability and Dynamics ◽

10.1142/s0219455421400095 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 2140009

Author(s):

Ye Liu ◽

Yan Han ◽

Peng Hu ◽

C. S. Cai ◽

Xuhui He

Keyword(s):

Dynamic Responses ◽

Response Analysis ◽

Train Track ◽

Wheel Load ◽

Wind Barrier ◽

The Mean ◽

Wind Pressures ◽

Track Bridge ◽

Fluctuating Wind ◽

Bridge System

In this study, the influences of wind barriers on the aerodynamic characteristics of trains (e.g. a CRH2 train) on a highway-railway one-story bridge were investigated by using wind pressure measurement tests, and a reduction factor of overturning moment coefficients was analyzed for trains under wind barriers. Subsequently, based on a joint simulation employing SIMPACK and ANSYS, a wind–train–track–bridge system coupled vibration model was established, and the safety and comfort indexes of trains on the bridge were studied under different wind barrier parameters. The results show that the mean wind pressures and fluctuating wind pressures on the trains’ surface decrease generally if wind barriers are used. As a result, the dynamic responses of the trains also decrease in the whole process of crossing the bridge. Of particular note, the rate of the wheel load reductions and lateral wheel-axle forces can change from unsafe states to relative safe states due to the wind barriers. The influence of the porosity of the wind barriers on the mean wind pressures and fluctuating wind pressures on the windward sides and near the top corner surfaces of the trains are significantly greater than the influence from the height of the wind barriers. Within a certain range, decreasing the wind barrier porosities and increasing the wind barrier heights will significantly reduce the safety and comfort index values of trains on the bridge. It is found that when the porosity of the wind barrier is 40%, the optimal height of the wind barrier is determined as approximately 3.5[Formula: see text]m. At this height, the trains on the bridges are safer and run more smoothly and comfortably. Besides, through the dynamic response analysis of the wind–train–track–bridge system, it is found that the installation of wind barriers in cases with high wind speeds (30[Formula: see text]m/s) may have an adverse effect on the vertical vibration of the train–track–bridge system.

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