Dynamic wind loads and wake characteristics of a wind turbine model in an atmospheric boundary layer wind

An experimental study was conducted to characterize the dynamic wind loads and evolution of the unsteady vortex and turbulent flow structures in the near wake of a horizontal axis wind turbine model placed in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel. In addition to measuring dynamic wind loads (i.e., aerodynamic forces and bending moments) acting on the wind turbine model by using a high-sensitive force-moment sensor unit, a high-resolution digital particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to achieve flow field measurements to quantify the characteristics of the turbulent vortex flow in the near wake of the wind turbine model. Besides conducting “free-run” PIV measurements to determine the ensemble-averaged statistics of the flow quantities such as mean velocity, Reynolds stress, and turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) distributions in the wake flow, “phase-locked” PIV measurements were also performed to elucidate further details about evolution of the unsteady vortex structures in the wake flow in relation to the position of the rotating turbine blades. The effects of the tip-speed-ratio of the wind turbine model on the dynamic wind loads and wake flow characteristics were quantified in the terms of the variations of the aerodynamic thrust and bending moment coefficients of the wind turbine model, the evolution of the helical tip vortices and the unsteady vortices shedding from the blade roots and turbine nacelle, the deceleration of the incoming airflows after passing the rotation disk of the turbine blades, the TKE and Reynolds stress distributions in the near wake of the wind turbine model. The detailed flow field measurements were correlated with the dynamic wind load measurements to elucidate underlying physics in order to gain further insight into the characteristics of the dynamic wind loads and turbulent vortex flows in the wakes of wind turbines for the optimal design of the wind turbines operating in atmospheric boundary layer winds.     

An experimental study on wind loads acting on a high-rise building model induced by microburst-like winds

In the present study, an experimental investigation is conducted to quantify the characteristics of the microburst-induced wind loads (i.e., both static and dynamic wind loads) acting on a high-rise building model, compared to those with the test model placed in conventional atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) winds. The experimental study is performed by using an impinging-jet-based microburst simulator available at Iowa State University. In additional to conducting flow field measurements to quantify the flow characteristics of the microburst-like wind, both mean and dynamic wind loads acting on the test model induced by the microburst-like wind are assessed in detail based on the quantitative measurements of the surface pressure distributions around the test model and the resultant aerodynamic forces. It is found that the microburst-induced wind loads acting on high-rise buildings would be significantly different from their counterparts in conventional ABL winds. Both the static and dynamic wind loads acting on the high-rise building model were found to change significantly depending on the radial locations and the orientation angles of the test model in respect to the oncoming microburst-like wind. The dynamic wind loads acting on the test model were found to be mainly influenced by the periodical shedding of the primary vortices and the high turbulence levels in the microburst-like wind. The findings derived from the present study are believed to be useful to gain further insight into the underlying physics of the flow–structure interactions of high-rise buildings in violent microburst winds for a better understanding of the damage potential of microburst winds to high-rise buildings.     

An experimental investigation on the characteristics of fluid–structure interactions of a wind turbine model sited in microburst-like winds

An experimental investigation is performed to assess the characteristics of the fluid–structure interactions and microburst-induced wind loads acting on a wind turbine model sited in microburst-liked winds. The experiment study was conducted with a scaled wind turbine model placed in microburst-like winds generated by using an impinging-jet-typed microburst simulator. In addition to quantifying complex flow features of microburst-like winds, the resultant wind loads acting on the turbine model were measured by using a high-sensitive force–moment sensor as the turbine model was mounted at different radial locations and with different orientation angles with respect to the oncoming microburst-like winds. The measurement results reveal clearly that, the microburst-induced wind loads acting on the turbine model were distinctly different from those in a conventional atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) wind. With the scales of the wind turbine model and the microburst-like wind used in the present study, the dynamic wind loadings acting on the turbine model were found to be significantly higher (i.e., up to 4 times higher for the mean loads, and up to 10 times higher for the fluctuation amplitudes) than those with the same turbine model sited in ABL winds. Both the mean values and fluctuation amplitudes of the microburst-induced wind loads were found to vary significantly with the changes of the mounted site of the turbine model, the operating status (i.e., with the turbine blades stationary or freely rotating), and the orientation angle of the turbine model with respect to the oncoming microburst-like wind. The dynamic wind load measurements were correlated to the flow characteristics of the microburst-like winds to elucidate underlying physics. The findings of the present study are helpful to gain further insight into the potential damage caused by the violent microbursts to wind turbines to ensure safer and more efficient operation of the wind turbines in thunderstorm-prone areas.     

An experimental study of the effects of pitch-pivot-point location on the propulsion performance of a pitching airfoil

An experimental investigation was conducted to characterize the evolution of the unsteady vortex structures in the wake of a pitching airfoil with the pitch-pivot-point moving from 0.16C to 0.52C (C is the chord length of the airfoil). The experimental study was conducted in a low-speed wind tunnel with a symmetric NACA0012 airfoil model in pitching motion under different pitching kinematics (i.e., reduced frequency k=3.8–13.2). A high-resolution particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to conduct detailed flow field measurements to quantify the characteristics of the wake flow and the resultant propulsion performance of the pitching airfoil. Besides conducting “free-run” PIV measurements to determine the ensemble-averaged velocity distributions in the wake flow, “phase-locked” PIV measurements were also performed to elucidate further details about the behavior of the unsteady vortex structures. Both the vorticity–moment theorem and the integral momentum theorem were used to evaluate the effects of the pitch-pivot-point location on the propulsion performance of the pitching airfoil. It was found that the pitch-pivot-point would affect the evolution of the unsteady wake vortices and resultant propulsion performance of the pitching airfoil greatly. Moving the pitch-pivot-point of the pitching airfoil can be considered as adding a plunging motion to the original pitching motion. With the pitch-pivot-point moving forward (or backward), the added plunging motion would make the airfoil trailing edge moving in the same (or opposite) direction as of the original pitching motion, which resulted in the generated wake vortices and resultant thrust enhanced (or weakened) by the added plunging motion.     

一种风力机气动计算的全自由涡尾迹模型

采用全自由方式建立风力机尾流场的涡尾迹模型,引入“虚拟周期”的概念,并发展一种自适应松弛因子方法,从而改善了自由尾迹迭代的稳定性,提高了迭代收敛速度。利用建立的自由涡尾迹模型,计算了风力机叶片的尾流场结构、气动性能及叶片载荷,并与实验结果进行了对比分析。结果表明,尖速比越大,自适应松弛因子方法对缩小模型计算时间越有效;全自由涡尾迹模型能准确给出风力机尾流场的结构,包括尾迹的扩张以及叶尖涡和叶根涡的产生、发展和耗散的过程,风轮扭矩与实验数据吻合;叶片载荷分布的计算结果在低风速下与实验值基本一致,但是在大风速下差别较大,说明需要一个准确的失速模型。     

Aerodynamic forces on a tall building in a turbulent boundary layer

The model studies were designed to obtain information concerning wind loads on a tall building by placing the model in a turbulent shear flow simulating expected atmospheric boundary-layer winds. Since current design codes are inadequate for predicting all possible motions of tall buildings, it is important that better knowledge of mean and fluctuating loadings and their distributions becomes available. Experiments were conducted to determine the mean and fluctuating forces and twisting moments at several levels over the surface of a model. By determining the effects at several levels simultaneously, it was possible to correlate forces and moments at five levels with one common level. A single model was tested at varying orientations. Tests were also conducted with an identical model placed upstream so that its wake influenced the flow around the instrumented model. Results are presented in terms of distributions of force and moment coefficients and correlations at different levels. The spectral character of the force and moment components is illustrated for one case. Paper was presented at 1977 SESA Spring Meeting held in Dallas, TX on May 15–20.     

Near-ground tornado-like vortex structure resolved by particle image velocimetry (PIV)

The near-ground flow structure of tornadoes is of utmost interest because it determines how and to what extent civil structures could get damaged in tornado events. We simulated tornado-like vortex flow at the swirl ratios of S = 0.03–0.3 (vane angle θ_v = 15°–60°), using a laboratory tornado simulator and investigated the near-ground-vortex structure by particle imaging velocimetry. Complicated near-ground flow was measured in two orthogonal views: horizontal planes at various elevations (z = 11, 26 and 53 mm above the ground) and the meridian plane. We observed two distinct vortex structures: a single-celled vortex at the lowest swirl ratio (S = 0.03, θ_v = 15°) and multiple suction vortices rotating around the primary vortex (two-celled vortex) at higher swirl ratios (S = 0.1–0.3, θ_v = 30°–60°). We quantified the effects of vortex wandering on the mean flow and found that vortex wandering was important and should be taken into account in the low swirl ratio case. The tangential velocity, as the dominant velocity component, has the peak value about three times that of the maximum radial velocity regardless of the swirl ratio. The maximum velocity variance is about twice at the high swirl ratio (θ_v = 45°) that at the low swirl ratio (θ_v = 15°), which is contributed significantly by the multiple small-scale secondary vortices. Here, the results show that not only the intensified mean flow but greatly enhanced turbulence occurs near the surface in the tornado-like vortex flow. The intensified mean flow and enhanced turbulence at the ground level, correlated with the ground-vortex interaction, may cause dramatic damage of the civil structures in tornadoes. This work provides detailed characterization of the tornado-like vortex structure, which has not been fully revealed in previous field studies and laboratory simulations. It would be helpful in improving the understanding of the interaction between the tornado-like vortex structure and the ground surface, ultimately leading to better predictions of tornado-induced wind loads on civil structures.     

Vortex shedding and structural loading characteristics of finned cylinders

The flow development and structural loading characteristics of cylinders with equispaced circular fins were studied experimentally for a range of fin pitches with constant fin thickness and diameter. The experiments were performed for a range of Reynolds numbers, corresponding to the shear layer transition turbulent shedding regime. Time-resolved planar Particle Image Velocimetry and direct mean drag and fluctuating lift measurements are employed to relate spatio-temporal flow development to structural loading. The results show that wake development is dominated by vortex shedding for all the cases examined. However, the fin pitch ratio has a significant effect on vortex shedding characteristics. The addition of fins increases the characteristic spatial and temporal scales of the main spanwise vortices forming in the near wake. As the fin pitch is decreased to a critical value, the coalescence of boundary layers between the adjacent fins leads to a significant enlargement of the vortex formation region. A modified vortex shedding frequency scaling is proposed, based on the effective diameter, that incorporates a Reynolds number dependence associated with the lateral boundary layers developing on the fin surfaces. A detailed analysis is conducted to characterize the strength of the vortical structures forming in the near wake. The addition of the fins is shown to produce a stabilizing effect on the roll-up process, associated with a reduction in the generation of smaller scale, three-dimensional structures. The results demonstrate that the addition of fins leads to an increase in the mean drag, which is driven primarily by the associated increase in skin friction. The significant effect of the fin pitch ratio on the characteristics of the shed vortices as well as the size of the vortex formation region is shown to lead to substantial variations in the fluctuating loads.     

均匀、振荡及组合流绕平板流动的尾迹研究

本文利用离散涡模型及改进的新生涡产生机制对三种不同来流绕平板的近尾迹进行数值研究。计算讨论了定常流中平板绕流流动的总体特性和近尾迹流场;对于简谐振荡来流,相应于K_c=2.0、4.0 和10.0 分别得到两种不同的尾迹形态。给出了小 K_c 数平板尾迹涡配对、运动的新模式而相应的阻力、惯性力系数计算比以前涡模拟结果更接近于 U 型管实验结果。对于流向组合来流本文模拟了涡锁定及其动力特性并于实验相符,给出了流向扰动对平板绕流流动的影响。     

Simulation of the aerodynamics of buildings and structures by means of the closed vortex loop method

Problems of the numerical simulation of the air flow past buildings and structures are considered using the closed vortex loop method. A mathematical model, based on the vortex approach, of the time-dependent ideal incompressible fluid flow past a system of bodies is proposed. A numerical scheme for solving the problem and an algorithm for calculating the distributed wind loads over the body surface are outlined. An example of calculating the aerodynamic loads is given for a real building and the results are compared with the known results of testing a model of the building in a wind tunnel. An example of the calculation and analysis of the wind distribution over a system of several buildings is also presented.     

风激下结构的紊流诱发振动

高耸结构群或桥梁部件在风激下，除了产生经典气动弹性效应外，还会引起结构或部件间的相互动力干涉作用，特别是由于上游结构振荡绕流所形成的紊流激励作用，使得处于尾流场中的结构或部件的动态性能与上游结构有明显的差别。文中报导弹性约束下两Ｈ型结构的气动干涉实验结果。依据实验观察到的主要特征分析风激干涉下结构的紊流诱发振动与随机动力稳定性，得出紊流随机响应的解析表达式以及用以确定临界风速的动力稳定性条件，计算     

Numerical study on wake characteristics of high-speed trains

Intensive turbulence exists in the wakes of high speed trains, and the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car could deteriorate rapidly due to complicated features of the vortices in the wake zone. As a result, the safety and amenity of high speed trains would face a great challenge. This paper considers mainly the mechanism of vortex formation and evolution in the train flow field. A real CRH2 model is studied, with a leading car, a middle car and a trailing car included. Different running speeds and cross wind conditions are considered, and the approaches of un- steady Reynold-averaged Navier-Stokes （URANS） and de- tached eddy simulation （DES） are utilized, respectively. Re- suits reveal that DES has better capability of capturing small eddies compared to URANS. However, for large eddies, the effects of two approaches are almost the same. In conditions without cross winds, two large vortex streets stretch from the train nose and interact strongly with each other in the wake zone. With the reinforcement of the ground, a complicated wake vortex system generates and becomes strengthened as the running speed increases. However, the locations of flow separations on the train surface and the separation mechanism keep unchanged. In conditions with cross winds, three large vortices develop along the leeward side of the train, among which the weakest one has no obvious influence on the wake flow while the other two stretch to the tail of the train and combine with the helical vortices in the train wake. Thus, optimization of the aerodynamic performance of the trailing car should be aiming at reducing the intensity of the wake vortex system.     

Experimental investigation on the wake interference among wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer winds

We examined experimentally the effects of incom-ing surface wind on the turbine wake and the wake interfer-ence among upstream and downstream wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) winds. The experi-ment was conducted in a large-scale ABL wind tunnel with scaled wind turbine models mounted in different incom-ing surface winds simulating the ABL winds over typical offshore/onshore wind farms. Power outputs and dynamic loadings acting on the turbine models and the wake flow char-acteristics behind the turbine models were quantified. The results revealed that the incoming surface winds significantly affect the turbine wake characteristics and wake interference between the upstream and downstream turbines. The velocity deficits in the turbine wakes recover faster in the incoming surface winds with relatively high turbulence levels. Varia-tions of the power outputs and dynamic wind loadings acting on the downstream turbines sited in the wakes of upstream turbines are correlated well with the turbine wakes charac-teristics. At the same downstream locations, the downstream turbines have higher power outputs and experience greater static and fatigue loadings in the inflow with relatively high turbulence level, suggesting a smaller effect of wake inter-ference for the turbines sited in onshore wind farms.     

横摆角下汽车尾部湍流特征量的PIV试验分析

汽车尾部湍流场是汽车压差阻力的主要来源,在HD-2汽车模型风洞中,首先使用测力天平和测压系统,对横摆角工况下汽车模型的气动六分力和纵对称截面48个测点的表面压力进行了测量,然后利用PIV测量技术对模型在横摆角分别为0°、15°的尾部湍流场进行了测量,获得该模型尾流场的速度场、涡量场和雷诺应力流场信息,通过计算得出尾流场区域空间相关系数和湍流积分尺度。结果表明:在横摆角工况下,汽车模型尾部涡流的结构呈现向上发展的趋势;尾流场拖拽涡的范围和强度的增大导致了模型气动力出现较大的增加;湍流积分尺度的变化表明,尾部涡流区的分离噪声与涡流分离位置有关,在汽车尾部造型设计中,要尽量推迟尾部涡流的分离。     

Uncovering large-scale coherent structures in natural and forced turbulent wakes by combining PIV,POD, and FTLE

Planar velocity data of the unsteady separated flow in the turbulent wake of a circular cylinder obtained by particle image velocimetry (PIV) are analyzed in order to visualize the large-scale coherent structures associated with alternating vortex shedding at a Reynolds number of 2,150. Two different cases are examined: unforced vortex shedding in the natural wake and vortex lock-on incited by forced perturbations superimposed in the inflow velocity. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is employed to reconstruct the low-order wake dynamics from randomly sampled snapshots of the velocity field. The reconstructed flow is subsequently used to determine the evolution of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) fields which identify the Lagrangian coherent structures. The results demonstrate that the combination of methods employed offers a powerful visualization tool to uncover large-scale coherent structures and to exemplify vortex dynamics in natural and forced bluff-body wakes.     

上海中心大厦脉动风荷载模拟研究

风荷载是超高层建筑设计的主要荷载之一,对超高层建筑进行风振时程分析能更准确和直观地了解结构风振响应的特性.为了进行风振响应时程分析,必须较为准确地模拟作用在结构上的脉动风荷载.首先,本文采用基于自回归(AR)模型的线性滤波法对上海中心大厦场地的脉动风速时程进行了数值模拟,通过检验模拟脉动风速的功率谱和相干函数平方根与目标值的吻合程度,验证了基于AR模型模拟超高层建筑脉动风速时程的可行性.然后,本文考虑了上海中心大厦外形向上扭转收缩的特点,由模拟的脉动风速时程计算生成作用在结构上的脉动风荷载.     

Large Eddy Simulation of Wind Turbine Wakes

We present the coupling of a vortex particle-mesh method with immersed lifting lines for the Large Eddy Simulation of wind turbine wakes. The method relies on the Lagrangian discretization of the Navier–Stokes equations in vorticity-velocity formulation. Advection is handled by the particles while the mesh allows the evaluation of the differential operators and the use of fast Poisson solvers. We use a Fourier-based fast Poisson solver which simultaneously allows unbounded directions and inlet/outlet boundaries. The method also allows the feeding of a turbulent incoming flow. We apply this methodology to the study of large scale aerodynamics and wake behavior of tandem wind turbines. We analyze the generators performance, unsteady power, loads and aerodynamics they are subjected to. The average flow field of the wakes is also computed and turbulence statistics are extracted. In particular, we investigate the influence of the type of turbulent inflow used—precomputed or synthetic—, and study wake meandering.     

基于涡旋识别方法的高速列车尾涡结构的讨论

利用改进型延迟分离涡模拟方法对缩尺比例1:30的高速列车简化模型的绕流流场进行数值计算,主要针对近尾流区的涡旋结构展开具体讨论. 通过不同的涡旋识别方法,发现在尾涡结构中,高涡量的强涡旋主要聚集于尾车附近,而涡量较低但处于相对稳定状态的涡旋分布在大部分尾流空间中. 对此,主要基于最新提出的涡旋定义及其物理意义认为,由于边界层在尾部发生的流动分离,剪切变形以及高涡量的扩散对强涡旋的形成发挥着重要的作用,而涡旋会被较强的剪切旋转拉伸,使得局部复杂的流动表现出突出的湍流特性;另一方面,尽管涡强度明显下降,但是在强剪切应变迅速衰减的情况下,流向涡核中的涡旋涡量是主要的,此时,在较接近地面的情况下,流体微团以涡核为中心的旋转运动使得涡旋与地面之间的相互作用成为主导的流动机制. 虽然涡强度会相对缓慢地衰减,但是从湍流能量产生的角度,该机制对涡旋的自维持发挥重要的作用,从而使尾涡结构能够相对稳定地存在于尾流流动中.      

Computation of three‐dimensional flow around square and circular piers

The aim of the present study is to investigate, by numerical simulation, the three‐dimensional turbulent flow field around square and circular piers. The numerical model employs a finite volume method based on MacCormack's explicit predictor–corrector scheme to solve weakly compressible hydrodynamic equations for turbulent flow. Computed results are compared with Dargahi's experimental measurements to assess the validity of the proposed model. Very good agreements are obtained. The results of flow simulation indicate that near the upstream face of the pier there exists a downflow, which joins the separated flow to form the horseshoe vortex stretched around the pier. This horseshoe vortex interacts with the wake vortex to create the upflow behind the pier. These phenomena appear to be very important to the mechanism of scouring around the pier. In general, the flow patterns for the square and circular piers are similar. However, the strengths of the downflow and horseshoe vortex are greater in the case of the square pier. The position of the horseshoe vortex around the circular pier is closer to the front face than that around the square pier. In the meantime, the domain of the wake flow in the case of the square pier is greater than that in the case of the circular one. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.