scholarly journals Validation of CFD Predictions of Urban Wind - Developing a Methodology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Riley Willis
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
City Council ◽  
Wind Tunnels ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Validation Process ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Entire Area ◽  
Cfd Models ◽  
Wind Tunnel Measurements

<p>“Good mental health in a fluid or CFD modeller is always indicated by the presence of a suspicious nature, cynicism and a ‘show me’ attitude. These are not necessarily the best traits for a life mate or a best friend, but they are essential if the integrity of the modelling process is to be maintained.” (Meroney, 2004)  Over the past 50 years, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) computer simulation programs have offered a new method of calculating the wind comfort and safety data for use in pedestrian wind studies. CFD models claim to have some important advantages over wind tunnels; which remain the most common method of wind calculation. While wind tunnels provide measurements of selected points, CFD simulations provide whole-flow field data for the entire area under investigation (Blocken, 2014; Blocken, Stathopoulos, & van Beeck, 2016). Similarly, wind tunnel measurements must consider the similarity requirements involved with testing a model at small scale, while CFD simulations can avoid this as they are conducted at full scale (Ramponi & Blocken, 2012a).  However, CFD simulations can also often be misleading; and they should only be trusted once they can be proven to be accurate. To appease the requirements for this cynical view- referenced in the above quote- proper verification and validation of a model is imperative.  This thesis investigated and tested the current best practice guidelines around CFD model validation, using existing wind tunnel measurements of generic urban arrays. The goal of the research was to determine whether the existing data and guidance around the validation process was sufficient for a consultant user to trust that a CFD model they created was sufficiently accurate to base design decisions from.  The CFD code Autodesk CFD was used to simulate two configurations first tested as wind tunnel models by the Architectural Institute of Japan, and Opus labs in Wellington. The Wellington City Council wind speed criteria were used to determine whether the CFD simulations met the required accuracy criteria for council consent.  Results from the study found that the CFD models could not meet the accuracy criteria. It concluded that while the validation process provided sufficient guidance, there is a lack of available data which is relevant to CFD validation for urban flows.  It was recommended that at least one improved dataset was required, to build a system by which a consultant can identify what the requirements of a CFD model are to provide accurate CFD analysis of the site under investigation. To accommodate the range of sites likely to be present in urban wind studies, it was recommended that the new dataset provided data for a variety of wind flows likely to be found in cities.</p>

scholarly journals Validation of CFD Predictions of Urban Wind - Developing a Methodology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Riley Willis
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
City Council ◽  
Wind Tunnels ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Validation Process ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Entire Area ◽  
Cfd Models ◽  
Wind Tunnel Measurements

<p>“Good mental health in a fluid or CFD modeller is always indicated by the presence of a suspicious nature, cynicism and a ‘show me’ attitude. These are not necessarily the best traits for a life mate or a best friend, but they are essential if the integrity of the modelling process is to be maintained.” (Meroney, 2004)  Over the past 50 years, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) computer simulation programs have offered a new method of calculating the wind comfort and safety data for use in pedestrian wind studies. CFD models claim to have some important advantages over wind tunnels; which remain the most common method of wind calculation. While wind tunnels provide measurements of selected points, CFD simulations provide whole-flow field data for the entire area under investigation (Blocken, 2014; Blocken, Stathopoulos, & van Beeck, 2016). Similarly, wind tunnel measurements must consider the similarity requirements involved with testing a model at small scale, while CFD simulations can avoid this as they are conducted at full scale (Ramponi & Blocken, 2012a).  However, CFD simulations can also often be misleading; and they should only be trusted once they can be proven to be accurate. To appease the requirements for this cynical view- referenced in the above quote- proper verification and validation of a model is imperative.  This thesis investigated and tested the current best practice guidelines around CFD model validation, using existing wind tunnel measurements of generic urban arrays. The goal of the research was to determine whether the existing data and guidance around the validation process was sufficient for a consultant user to trust that a CFD model they created was sufficiently accurate to base design decisions from.  The CFD code Autodesk CFD was used to simulate two configurations first tested as wind tunnel models by the Architectural Institute of Japan, and Opus labs in Wellington. The Wellington City Council wind speed criteria were used to determine whether the CFD simulations met the required accuracy criteria for council consent.  Results from the study found that the CFD models could not meet the accuracy criteria. It concluded that while the validation process provided sufficient guidance, there is a lack of available data which is relevant to CFD validation for urban flows.  It was recommended that at least one improved dataset was required, to build a system by which a consultant can identify what the requirements of a CFD model are to provide accurate CFD analysis of the site under investigation. To accommodate the range of sites likely to be present in urban wind studies, it was recommended that the new dataset provided data for a variety of wind flows likely to be found in cities.</p>

scholarly journals Impact of the oasis effect on wind tunnel measurements of ammonia volatilization from urea

2016 ◽  
Vol 96 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devon Watt ◽  
Philippe Rochette ◽  
Andrew VanderZaag ◽  
Ian B. Strachan ◽  
Normand Bertrand
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Ammonia Volatilization ◽  
Wind Tunnels ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nonlinear Relationship ◽  
Concentration Gradients ◽  
Concentration Difference ◽  
Wind Tunnel Measurements ◽  
Flux Difference ◽  
Oasis Effect

The validity of emission factors derived from small-scale measurements of ammonia (NH3) volatilization has been questioned in the literature because gaseous NH3 concentration gradients differ at the edge of the measurement plot and may result in higher emissions than at field scale. We studied this “oasis effect” using two very long (22 m) wind tunnels constructed indoors over soil plots fertilized with surface-applied urea (20 g N m−2). We hypothesized that NH3 flux would be highest at the start of the tunnel and decrease with distance. Air NH3 concentration was measured every 2 m along each tunnel for 2 wk after urea application; NH3 flux did not decrease along the length of the tunnels. Of the 60 measurement periods, when there was significant NH3 volatilization, only two had a significant nonlinear relationship (P ≤ 0.05) between NH3 concentration and distance. For the other periods, the NH3 concentration increased linearly with distance (P ≤ 0.05). The background NH3 concentration difference between halves of the tunnels was not significantly related to NH3 flux difference (P > 0.1). Our results indicate that wind tunnel measurements of NH3 volatilization fertilized using urea are not impacted by a measurable oasis effect.

scholarly journals Demonstration and uncertainty analysis of synchronised scanning lidar measurements of 2-D velocity fields in a boundary-layer wind tunnel

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marijn Floris van Dooren ◽  
Filippo Campagnolo ◽  
Mikael Sjöholm ◽  
Nikolas Angelou ◽  
Torben Mikkelsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Uncertainty Analysis ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Short Range ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Wind Tunnels ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Measurement Technology ◽  
Lidar Measurement ◽  
Hot Wire

Abstract. This paper combines the research methodologies of scaled wind turbine model experiments in wind tunnels with short-range WindScanner lidar measurement technology. The wind tunnel at the Politecnico di Milano was equipped with three wind turbine models and two short-range WindScanner lidars to demonstrate the benefits of synchronised scanning lidars in such experimental surroundings for the first time. The dual-lidar system can provide fully synchronised trajectory scans with sampling timescales ranging from seconds to minutes. First, staring mode measurements were compared to hot-wire probe measurements commonly used in wind tunnels. This yielded goodness of fit coefficients of 0.969 and 0.902 for the 1 Hz averaged u and v components of the wind speed, respectively, validating the 2-D measurement capability of the lidar scanners. Subsequently, the measurement of wake profiles on a line as well as wake area scans were executed to illustrate the applicability of lidar scanning to the measurement of small-scale wind flow effects. An extensive uncertainty analysis was executed to assess the accuracy of the method. The downsides of lidar with respect to the hot-wire probes are the larger measurement probe volume, which compromises the ability to measure turbulence, and the possible loss of a small part of the measurements due to hard target beam reflection. In contrast, the benefits are the high flexibility in conducting both point measurements and area scanning and the fact that remote sensing techniques do not disturb the flow during measuring. The research campaign revealed a high potential for using short-range synchronised scanning lidars to measure the flow around wind turbines in a wind tunnel and increased the knowledge about the corresponding uncertainties.

Turbulence reduction by screens

1988 ◽  
Vol 197 ◽  
pp. 139-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Groth ◽  
Arne V. Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Wind Tunnels ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Upstream Side ◽  
Turbulence Suppression ◽  
Controlled Flow ◽  
Reduction Effectiveness

Turbulence suppression by use of screens was studied in a small wind tunnel especially designed and built for the purpose. Wide ranges of mesh sizes and wire-diameter Reynolds numbers were covered in the present investigation, enabling the study of sub- and super-critical screens under the same, well-controlled, flow conditions. For the latter type small-scale fluctuations, produced by the screen itself, interact with the incoming turbulence. In the immediate vicinity of the screen the turbulence was found to be highly anisotropic and the intensities were higher than on the upstream side. Downstream of a short initial decay region, where the intensities decrease rapidly, the return to isotropy was found to be much slower than for the unmanipulated turbulence. The latter was generated by a square rod grid, and was shown to become practically isotropic beyond a distance of roughly 20 mesh widths from the grid. The role of the turbulence scales for the overall reduction effectiveness, and for the optimization of screen combinations for application in low-turbulence wind tunnels was studied.

Validation of CFD simulations for X-31 wind-tunnel models

2015 ◽  
Vol 119 (1214) ◽  
pp. 479-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ghoreyshi ◽  
A. D. H. Kim ◽  
A. Jirasek ◽  
A. J. Lofthouse ◽  
R. M. Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Numerical Algorithms ◽  
Turbulence Models ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Convergence Acceleration ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Cfd Models ◽  
Sinusoidal Oscillations

AbstractComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become an attractive method of choice in the design of many aerospace vehicles because of advances in numerical algorithms and convergence acceleration methods. However, the flow around an advanced fighter aircraft is complicated and usually unsteady due to the presence of vortex-dominated flows. The accuracy and predictability of conventional turbulence models for these applications may be questionable and therefore results obtained from these models must be validated and evaluated on the basis of experimental data from wind tunnels and/or flight tests. This work aims to validate CFD simulations of X-31 wind-tunnel models with and without a belly-mounted sting. The sting setup facilitates forced sinusoidal oscillations in one of three modes of: pitch, yaw, and roll. However, the results show that measured aerodynamic data are altered by the turbulent wake behind the sting, even at small angles of attack. The high angle-of-attack flow around the X-31 is also very complicated and unsteady due to canard and wing vortices. Therefore, validation of CFD models for predicting these complex flows can be a very challenging task. The X-31 wind-tunnel experiments were carried out in the German Dutch low-speed wind tunnel at Braunschweig and include aerodynamic force and moment measurement as well as span-wise pressure distributions at locations of 60% and 70% chord length. This data set is used to validate the Cobalt and Kestrel flow solvers and the results are similar and match quiet well with experiments for small to moderate angles of attack. The main discrepancies between CFD and measurements occur close to the wing tip, where leading-edge flaps are located.

Smart dynamic rotor control using active flaps on a small-scale wind turbine: aeroelastic modeling and comparison with wind tunnel measurements

Wind Energy ◽  
2012 ◽  
pp. n/a-n/a ◽  
Author(s):  
T.K. Barlas ◽  
W. van Wingerden ◽  
A.W. Hulskamp ◽  
G.A. M. van Kuik ◽  
H.E. N. Bersee
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Wind Tunnel Measurements ◽  
Rotor Control

A Modular Wing-Tail Airplane Configuration for the Educational Wind Tunnel Laboratory

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Terry Beck
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Calibration Procedure ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Wind Tunnels ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pitching Moment ◽  
Gravity Effects ◽  
Basic Parameters ◽  
Rapid Prototyping System

An innovative modular airplane configuration has been developed for use in small-scale educational wind tunnels. The “airplane” consists of an interchangeable wing and horizontal tail configuration that mounts on a conventional wind tunnel electronic balance (“sting”) to facilitate measurements of normal force, axial force and longitudinal pitching moment. From these basic parameters, the total lift, total drag, and resultant airplane pitching moment can be deduced, along with the location of the aerodynamic center of the total airplane. Using known wing planform and airfoil shapes facilitates comparison of the total airplane aerodynamic characteristics with those predicted from the known characteristics of the separate wing and horizontal tail. In particular, the aerodynamic center of the simplified airplane configuration can be determined, along with the effect that downwash on the tail has on longitudinal stability of the airplane. Included in the paper is a description of the calibration procedure for the modular “sting” mount. This procedure accounts for an offset “line of action” for aerodynamic forces, as well as offset center of gravity effects. In conjunction with this same test setup, an available Rapid Prototyping system has been used to manufacture the test sections (separate wing and tail) for use in the wind tunnel, and in particular, in the modular wing-tail assembly. This provides tremendous flexibility in the types of wing-tail assemblies that can be investigated experimentally using the same module. The relatively inexpensive prototyping procedure also provides the capability for students to design and test their own configurations. Furthermore, the precision manufacturing capability of the Rapid Prototyping system guarantees reliable reproduction of virtually any desired aerodynamic planform and airfoil shape.

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