Applied Sciences (Aug 2019)
Numerical Investigation of Multi-SDBD Plasma Actuators for Controlling Fluctuating Wind Load on Building Roofs
Abstract
The present research aims to explore, by large-eddy simulation (LES), the potentiality and mechanism of multiple surface dielectric barrier discharge (multi-SDBD) plasma actuators to manipulate mean and fluctuating wind loads on a low-rise building. Three actuator configurations are located on the roof to induce directional wall jets in different directions. The effects of these configurations on flow structure and wind loads are studied in absence and presence of approaching flow. Results show that all subgrid-scale models can obtain accurate roof pressure, and for the diffusion and convection terms, the bounded central differencing scheme can provide more accurate predictions for the roof pressure. The control impact of active actuators gradually weakens with the increase of the approaching flow velocity. The direction of the wall jet can determine the position of the limited roof region with the reduced mean pressure coefficient. The multi-SDBD actuators continue to absorb the upstream flow and blow this flow downstream, meaning the wall jet exerts strong pressure on the local roof area at the end of the jet, which results in a significant reduction of the mean pressure coefficient. Furthermore, the counter-rotating vortices caused by the wall jet restrain the size and strength of the vortex shedding, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the fluctuating pressure coefficient. Further analysis of the instantaneous vorticity fields indicates that the intensity and size of streamwise shedding vortices can be restrained by small-scale spanwise vortices induced by the plasma actuators. Under the action of the wall jet blowing from the trailing edge to the leading edge, the fluctuating lift and drag coefficients can be reduced by over 15% and the fluctuating pressure coefficient can be reduced by about 20% from the no actuation situation.
Keywords
