Numerical simulation on load characteristics of transmission tower under downburst and wind-rain conditions

Abstract

To analyze the response characteristics and failure modes of transmission towers subjected to the combined effects of downbursts and rainstorms， a numerical simulation based on CFD （computational fluid dynamics） is used to investigate the distribution characteristics of rainstorm loads on transmission towers within a wind farm when experiencing downburst conditions. Using the SST （shear stress transport） k-ω turbulence model， a three-dimensional simulation of wind farm characteristics during downburst scenarios is conducted. When compared to the existing numerical simulations and measurements， the simulation results for the wind farm during downbursts are proved to be reasonable. A steel pipe transmission tower is taken as an example： a refined numerical model of the tower in a wind farm under downburst conditions is developed， and appropriate wind-driven rain parameters are selected to simulate and derive the rainstorm load distribution characteristics on the tower. The research findings disclose that within the wind farm under downburst conditions， horizontal wind speeds exhibit a pattern of increase， peaking at heights ranging from 10 to 30 meters and decreasing thereafter. Furthermore， the shape coefficient varies in response to inflow wind directions， with rain loads reaching their maximum at lower heights near the ground.

Keywords

• transmission tower
• downburst
• wind and rain load
• numerical simulation