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Wind and Structures Volume 26, Number 4, April 2018 , pages 191-204 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12989/was.2018.26.4.191 |
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Study of random characteristics of fluctuating wind loads on ultra-large cooling towers in full construction process |
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S.T. Ke, L. Xu and Y.J. Ge
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| Abstract | ||
| This article presents a study of the largest-ever (height = 220 m) cooling tower using the large eddy simulation (LES) method. Information about fluid fields around the tower and 3D aerodynamic time history in full construction process were obtained, and the wind pressure distribution along the entire tower predicted by the developed model was compared with standard curves and measured curves to validate the effectiveness of the simulating method. Based on that, average wind pressure distribution and characteristics of fluid fields in the construction process of ultra-large cooling tower were investigated. The characteristics of fluid fields in full construction process and their working principles were investigated based on wind speeds and vorticities under different construction conditions. Then, time domain characteristics of ultra-large cooling towers in full construction process, including fluctuating wind loads, extreme wind loads, lift and drag coefficients, and relationship of measuring points, were studied and fitting formula of extreme wind load as a function of height was developed based on the nonlinear least square method. Additionally, the frequency domain characteristics of wind loads on the constructing tower, including wind pressure power spectrum at typical measuring points, lift and drag power spectrum, circumferential correlations between typical measuring points, and vertical correlations of lift coefficient and drag coefficient, were analyzed. The results revealed that the random characteristics of fluctuating wind loads, as well as corresponding extreme wind pressure and power spectra curves, varied significantly and in real time with the height of the constructing tower. This study provides references for design of wind loads during construction period of ultra-large cooling towers. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| ultra-large cooling tower; full construction process; large eddy simulation; fluid field principles; time domain characteristics; frequency domain characteristics; extreme wind pressures | ||
| Address | ||
| S.T. Ke: Department of Civil Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Road, Nanjing 210016, China; State Key Laboratory for Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China L. Xu: Department of Civil Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 29 Yudao Road, Nanjing 210016, China Y.J. Ge: State Key Laboratory for Disaster Reduction in Civil Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China | ||