The Problem of Airflow Around Building Clusters in Different Configurations

• Main Authors: Jędrzejewski Mateusz, Poćwierz Marta, Zielonko-Jung Katarzyna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Polish Academy of Sciences 2017-09-01
• Series: Archive of Mechanical Engineering
• Subjects: environmental wind engineering; airflow around buildings; damage mechanics; CFD simulation; the k-ε realizable model of turbulence; RSM model of turbulence
• Online Access: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/meceng.2017.64.issue-3/meceng-2017-0024/meceng-2017-0024.xml?format=INT

In the paper, the authors discuss the construction of a model of an exemplary urban layout. Numerical simulation has been performed by means of a commercial software Fluent using two different turbulence models: the popular k-ε realizable one, and the Reynolds Stress Model (RSM), which is still being developed. The former is a 2-equations model, while the latter – is a RSM model – that consists of 7 equations. The studies have shown that, in this specific case, a more complex model of turbulence is not necessary. The results obtained with this model are not more accurate than the ones obtained using the RKE model. The model, scale 1:400, was tested in a wind tunnel. The pressure measurement near buildings, oil visualization and scour technique were undertaken and described accordingly. Measurements gave the quantitative and qualitative information describing the nature of the flow. Finally, the data were compared with the results of the experiments performed. The pressure coefficients resulting from the experiment were compared with the coefficients obtained from the numerical simulation. At the same time velocity maps and streamlines obtained from the calculations were combined with the results of the oil visualisation and scour technique.