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Numerical aerodynamic analysis of bluff bodies at a high Reynolds number with three-dimensional CFD modeling

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  • Special Topic: Fluid Mechanics
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Abstract

This paper focuses on numerical simulations of bluff body aerodynamics with three-dimensional CFD (computational fluid dynamics) modeling, where a computational scheme for fluid-structure interactions is implemented. The choice of an appropriate turbulence model for the computational modeling of bluff body aerodynamics using both two-dimensional and three-dimensional CFD numerical simulations is also considered. An efficient mesh control method which employs the mesh deformation technique is proposed to achieve better simulation results. Several long-span deck sections are chosen as examples which were stationary and pitching at a high Reynolds number. With the proposed CFD method and turbulence models, the force coefficients and flutter derivatives thus obtained are compared with the experimental measurement results and computed values completely from commercial software. Finally, a discussion on the effects of oscillation amplitude on the flutter instability of a bluff body is carried out with extended numerical simulations. These numerical analysis results demonstrate that the proposed three-dimensional CFD method, with proper turbulence modeling, has good accuracy and significant benefits for aerodynamic analysis and computational FSI studies of bluff bodies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Faculty of Vehicle Engineering and Mechanics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116023, China

    YuGuang Bai, Kai Yang, DongKe Sun, YuGuang Zhang & XiaoWei Gao

  2. Cardiff School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 3AA, Wales, UK

    David Kennedy & Fred Williams

Authors
  1. YuGuang Bai
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  2. Kai Yang
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  3. DongKe Sun
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  4. YuGuang Zhang
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  5. David Kennedy
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  6. Fred Williams
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  7. XiaoWei Gao
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Correspondence to YuGuang Bai.

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Bai, Y., Yang, K., Sun, D. et al. Numerical aerodynamic analysis of bluff bodies at a high Reynolds number with three-dimensional CFD modeling. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 56, 277–289 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-012-4982-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-012-4982-4

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