Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Flow Structures Around Different Binary Building Geometries
Abstract
The separation zones resulting from the wind interaction with a building and its
immediate surroundings are of great importance for determination of multiple vortex systems
interacting with the building and for consideration of appropriate design parameters. In this study,
flow structures around building models having dimensions of 5 × 5 × 5 cm (Model B), 5 × 5 × 10 cm
(Model C), and 5 × 10 × 5 cm (Model D) with a 30◦ slope and rooftop were examined experimentally
with a distance of 13.75 cm between two models (Model B and C; Model C and D) with the use
of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Besides, the experimental work of placing binary building
was numerically researched with the use of ANSYS Fluent 16.0 software program with the k-ε
turbulence model for a three-dimensional steady state, and the obtained numerical results were
compared with the experimental results. Instantaneous velocity fields were firstly obtained in the
experiments, and then the streamlines < Ψ >, velocity distributions < V >, and vortex peer curves
< ω > were plotted based on these data. The average equivalent velocity curve distributions in the x
and y directions were also investigated for both pairs of building models. The results showed that the
vortex lengths on the back of Model C increased by 13.33% as compared with Model B. The obtained
result demonstrated that the geometric features had an effect on the formation of vortex separation
zones. Comparison of the experimental and numerical results gave a deviation of maximum 3%.