Computational and experimental simulation of wind impacts on a lattice structure

Abstract

This work involves the study of wind impact on a lattice structure. Permeable lattice structures are widely used in construction all over the world (oil derricks and power line pylons, etc.); at the same time, the aerodynamic forces acting on such structures may make a decisive contribution to their stability. There are several methods of lattice structure computation for wind impacts: a computation according to the existing normative documents and experimental and numerical simulation. Each of the above methods has its own merits, demerits, and difficulties. Thus, the normative documents do not allow to compute complex space-frame structures. In this work a computational and experimental approach is utilized. An experimental study is conducted in a wind tunnel to determine the integral aerodynamic characteristics, while the local aerodynamic characteristics are determined based on the results of numerical simulation in a CFD complex. A valid numerical model is used the parameters of which ensure the reconciliation of the obtained results with the experiment data. At the next stage a vortex resonance excitation of the lattice structure is studied. This methodology makes it possible both to determine the values of aerodynamic coefficients necessary for computing the wind load on the structure as a whole and evaluate the vortex resonance excitation probability.

Keywords

• Wind-tunnel
• Wind impacts
• Lattice structures
• Resonant vortex oscillation