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Wind and Structures Volume 31, Number 3, September 2020, pages 255-267 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12989/was.2020.31.3.255 |
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Wind loading of a finite prism: aspect ratio, incidence and boundary layer thickness effects |
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Herman Heng and David Sumner
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| Abstract | ||
| A systematic set of low-speed wind tunnel experiments was performed at Re = 6.5x104 and 1.1x105 to study the mean wind loading experienced by surface-mounted finite-height square prisms for different aspect ratios, incidence angles, and boundary layer thicknesses. The aspect ratio of the prism was varied from AR = 1 to 11 in small increments and the incidence angle was changed from α= 0° to 45° in increments of 1°. Two different boundary layer thicknesses were used: a thin boundary layer with δ/D = 0.8 and a thick boundary layer with δ/D = 2.0–2.2. The mean drag and lift coefficients were strong functions of AR, α, and δ/D, while the Strouhal number was mostly influenced by α. The critical incidence angle, at which the prism experiences minimum drag, maximum lift, and highest vortex shedding frequency, increased with AR, converged to a value of αc = 18° ±2° once AR was sufficiently high, and was relatively insensitive to changes in δ/D. A local maximum value of mean drag coefficient was identified for higher-AR prisms at low α. The overall behaviour of the force coefficients and Strouhal number with AR suggests the possibility of three flow regimes. | ||
| Key Words | ||
| bluff body; surface-mounted finite-height square prism; wind loading; vortex shedding; drag coefficient; lift coefficient; critical incidence angle | ||
| Address | ||
| Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A9, Canada | ||