A robust protocol to compute wind load coefficients of telecommunication towers and antennas using numerical simulation for risk and resilience assessment

An accurate estimation of wind loads on telecommunication towers is crucial for design,as well as for perform-ing reliability,resilience,and risk assessments.In particular,drag coefficient and interference factor are the most significant factors for wind load computations.Wind tunnel tests and computational fluid dynamics(CFD)are the most appropriate methods to estimate these parameters.While wind tunnel tests are generally preferred in practice,they require dedicated facilities and personnel,and can be expensive if multiple configurations of tower panels and antennas need to be tested under various wind directions(e.g.,fragility curve development for system resilience analysis).This paper provides a simple,robust,and easily accessible CFD protocol with widespread applicability,offering a practical solution in situations where wind tunnel testing is not feasible,such as complex tower configurations or cases where the cost of running experiments for all the tower-antennas configurations is prohibitively high.Different turbulence models,structural and fluid boundary conditions and mesh types are tested to provide a streamlined CFD modeling strategy that shows good convergence and balances accuracy,computational time,and robustness.The protocol is calibrated and validated with experimental studies available in the literature.To demonstrate the capabilities of the protocol,three lattice tower panels and antennas with different configurations are analyzed as examples.The protocol successfully estimates the drag and lateral wind loads and their coefficients under different wind directions.Noticeable differences are observed between the esti-mated wind loads with this protocol and those computed by a simple linear superposition used in most practical applications,indicating the importance of tower-antenna interaction.Also,as expected,the wind loads recom-mended by design codes overestimate the simulated results.More importantly,the telecommunication design codes inadequately identify the most favorable wind directions that are associated with the lowest wind loads,while the results of the proposed protocol align with observations from experimental studies.This information may be used to select the tower orientation before construction.The findings of this study are of importance for the telecommunication industry,which seeks reliable results with minimal computational efforts.In addition,it enhances the fragility analysis of telecommunication towers under strong winds,and the portfolio risk and resilience assessment of telecommunication systems.

Evaluation of the coefficient of lateral stress at rest of granular materials under repetitive loading conditions

Although the internal stress state of soils can be affected by repetitive loading,there are few studies evaluating the lateral stress(or K_(0))of soils under repetitive loading.This study investigates the changes in K_(0) and directional shear wave velocity(V_(s))in samples of two granular materials with different particle shapes during repetitive loading.A modified oedometer cell equipped with bender elements and a diaphragm transducer was developed to measure the variations in the lateral stress and the shear wave velocity,under repetitive loading on the loading and unloading paths.The study produced the following results:(1)Repetitive loading on the loading path resulted in an increase in the K_(0) of test samples as a function of cyclic loading number(i),and(2)Repetitive loading on the unloading path resulted in a decrease in K_(0) according to i.The shear wave velocity ratio(i.e.V_(s)(HH)/V_(s)(VH),where the first and second letters in parentheses corresponds to the directions of wave propagation and particle motion,respectively,and V and H corresponds to the vertical and horizontal directions,respectively)according to i supports the experimental observations of this study.However,when the tested material was in lightly over-consolidated state,there was an increase in K_(0) during repetitive loading,indicating that it was the initial K_(0),rather than the loading path,which is responsible for the change in K_(0).The power model can capture the variation in the K_(0) of samples according to i.Notably,the K_(0)=1 line acts as the boundary between the increase and decrease in K_(0) under repetitive loading.

Data-Driven Modeling for Wind Turbine Blade Loads Based on Deep Neural Network

Blades are essential components of wind turbines.Reducing their fatigue loads during operation helps to extend their lifespan,but it is difficult to quickly and accurately calculate the fatigue loads of blades.To solve this problem,this paper innovatively designs a data-driven blade load modeling method based on a deep learning framework through mechanism analysis,feature selection,and model construction.In the mechanism analysis part,the generation mechanism of blade loads and the load theoretical calculationmethod based on material damage theory are analyzed,and four measurable operating state parameters related to blade loads are screened;in the feature extraction part,15 characteristic indicators of each screened parameter are extracted in the time and frequency domain,and feature selection is completed through correlation analysis with blade loads to determine the input parameters of data-driven modeling;in the model construction part,a deep neural network based on feedforward and feedback propagation is designed to construct the nonlinear coupling relationship between the unit operating parameter characteristics and blade loads.The results show that the proposed method mines the wind turbine operating state characteristics highly correlated with the blade load,such as the standard deviation of wind speed.The model built using these characteristics has reasonable calculation and fitting capabilities for the blade load and shows a better fitting level for untrained out-of-sample data than the traditional scheme.Based on the mean absolute percentage error calculation,the modeling accuracy of the two blade loads can reach more than 90%and 80%,respectively,providing a good foundation for the subsequent optimization control to suppress the blade load.

Source-Load Coordinated Optimal Scheduling Considering the High Energy Load of Electrofused Magnesium and Wind Power Uncertainty

In fossil energy pollution is serious and the“double carbon”goal is being promoted,as a symbol of fresh energy in the electrical system,solar and wind power have an increasing installed capacity,only conventional units obviously can not solve the new energy as the main body of the scheduling problem.To enhance the systemscheduling ability,based on the participation of thermal power units,incorporate the high energy-carrying load of electro-melting magnesiuminto the regulation object,and consider the effects on the wind unpredictability of the power.Firstly,the operating characteristics of high energy load and wind power are analyzed,and the principle of the participation of electrofusedmagnesiumhigh energy-carrying loads in the elimination of obstructedwind power is studied.Second,a two-layer optimization model is suggested,with the objective function being the largest amount of wind power consumed and the lowest possible cost of system operation.In the upper model,the high energy-carrying load regulates the blocked wind power,and in the lower model,the second-order cone approximation algorithm is used to solve the optimizationmodelwithwind power uncertainty,so that a two-layer optimizationmodel that takes into account the regulation of the high energy-carrying load of the electrofused magnesium and the uncertainty of the wind power is established.Finally,the model is solved using Gurobi,and the results of the simulation demonstrate that the suggested model may successfully lower wind abandonment,lower system operation costs,increase the accuracy of day-ahead scheduling,and lower the final product error of the thermal electricity unit.

Theoretical and Empirical Limits: Reexamining Betz’s Upper Limit towards a Practical Power Coefficients in Wind Turbines*

The aspiration of all wind turbine designers is to attain Betz’s upper limit, which represents the highest efficiency in wind energy extraction. Majority of working turbines operate slightly below this limit with an exception of a few operating in wind tunnels. This study proposes for a comprehensive reevaluation of Betz’s derivation, aiming to establish the gap between a theoretical power limit and a practical limit for realization. There are two common expressions for power coefficient giving the same optimal value of 59%, but they generate different power-coefficient curves when plotted against velocity ratios. This paper presents a new method being referred as “Direct Multiplication Fractional Change” (DMFC) for deriving power-coefficient curves in wind energy, and compares its generated curve with established models. Discrepancies in power-coefficient expressions are identified and harmonized. Three approaches, namely EVAM, LVM, and DMFCM, were used for the numerical derivation of cp in the study, with their evaluation summarized in a table. The study collaborates its findings with a formulated velocity-distance curve, commonly presented as a hypothetical velocity profile in some publications. The results from DMFCM indicate two distinct maxima for the power coefficient. On the front side of the disc, a maximum of 0.5 is achievable in practice, although it is not the highest theoretically. On the rear side, a theoretical maximum of 0.59 is observed, but this value is not attainable in practice. These maxima are separated by their positions along the line of flow relative to the disc. However, this approximation is limited to a streamlined flow model of the rotor disc.

A computational platform for considering the effects of aerodynamic and seismic load combination for utility scale horizontal axis wind turbines

The wide deployment of wind turbines in locations with high seismic hazard has led engineers to take into account a more comprehensive seismic design of such structures. Turbine specific guidelines usually use simplified methods and consider many assumptions to combine seismic demand with the other operational loads effecting the design of these structures. As the turbines increase in size and capacity, the interaction between seismic loads and aerodynamic loads becomes even more important. In response to the need for a computational tool that can perform coupled simulations of wind and seismic loads, a seismic module is developed for the FAST code and described in this research. This platform allows engineers working in this industry to directly consider interaction between seismic and other environmental loads for turbines. This paper details the practical application and theory of this platform and provides examples for the use of different capabilities. The platform is then used to show the suitable earthquake and operational load combination with the implicit consideration of aerodynamic damping by estimating appropriate load factors.

Grouping response method for equivalent static wind loads based on a modified LRC method

Wind loading is one of the most important loads for controlling the design of large-span roof structures. Equivalent static wind loads, which can generally aim at determining a specific response, are widely used by structural designers. A method for equivalent static wind loads applicable to multi-responses is proposed in this paper. A modified load- response-correlation （LRC） method corresponding to a particular peak response is presented, and the similarity algorithm implemented for the group response is described. The main idea of the algorithm is that two responses can be put into one group if the value of one response is close to that of the other response, when the structure is subjected to equivalent static wind loads aiming at the other response. Based on the modified LRC, the grouping response method is put forward to construct equivalent static wind loading. This technique can simultaneously reproduce peak responses for some grouped responses. To verify its computational accuracy, the method is applied to an actual large-span roof structure. Calculation results show that when the similarity of responses in the same group is high, equivalent static wind loads with high accuracy and reasonable magnitude of equivalent static wind distribution can be achieved.

Application of artificial neural networks in optimal tuning of tuned mass dampers implemented in high-rise buildings subjected to wind load

High-rise buildings are usually considered as flexible structures with low inherent damping. Therefore, these kinds of buildings are susceptible to wind-induced vibration. Tuned Mass Damper（TMD） can be used as an effective device to mitigate excessive vibrations. In this study, Artificial Neural Networks is used to find optimal mechanical properties of TMD for high-rise buildings subjected to wind load. The patterns obtained from structural analysis of different multi degree of freedom（MDF） systems are used for training neural networks. In order to obtain these patterns, structural models of some systems with 10 to 80 degrees-of-freedoms are built in MATLAB/SIMULINK program. Finally, the optimal properties of TMD are determined based on the objective of maximum displacement response reduction. The Auto-Regressive model is used to simulate the wind load. In this way, the uncertainties related to wind loading can be taken into account in neural network’s outputs. After training the neural network, it becomes possible to set the frequency and TMD mass ratio as inputs and get the optimal TMD frequency and damping ratio as outputs. As a case study, a benchmark 76-story office building is considered and the presented procedure is used to obtain optimal characteristics of the TMD for the building.

Study on semi-active control of mega-sub controlled structure by MR damper subject to random wind loads

The recently proposed mega-sub controlled structure （MSCS）, a new type of structure associated with the design and construction of super-tall buildings, has attracted the attention of designers for use in enhancing the control effectiveness in mega-frame buildings. In this paper, a dynamic equation and method to assemble parameter matrixes for a mega-sub controlled structure under random wind loads is presented. Semi-active control using magnetorheological dampers for the MSCS under random wind loads is investigated, and is compared with a corresponding system without dampers. A parametric study of the relative stiffness ratio and relative mass ratio between the mega-frame and the substructures, as well as the additional column stiffness ratio that influences the response control effectiveness of the MSCS, is discussed. The studies reveal, for the first time, that different control mechanisms exist. The results indicate that the proposed structure employing semi-active control can offer an effective control mechanism. Guidelines for selecting parameters are provided based on the analytical study.

A comprehensive review for wind,solar,and electrical load forecasting methods

Wind power,solar power,and electrical load forecasting are essential works to ensure the safe and stable operation of the electric power system.With the increasing permeability of new energy and the rising demand response load,the uncertainty on the production and load sides are both increased,bringing new challenges to the forecasting work and putting forward higher requirements to the forecasting accuracy.Most review/survey papers focus on one specific forecasting object(wind,solar,or load),a few involve the above two or three objects,but the forecasting objects are surveyed separately.Some papers predict at least two kinds of objects simultaneously to cope with the increasing uncertainty at both production and load sides.However,there is no corresponding review at present.Hence,our study provides a comprehensive review of wind,solar,and electrical load forecasting methods.Furthermore,the survey of Numerical Weather Prediction wind speed/irradiance correction methods is also included in this manuscript.Challenges and future research directions are discussed at last.

Determination method of load balance ranges for train operation safety under strong wind

The aerodynamic performances of a passenger car and a box car with different heights of windbreak walls under strong wind were studied using the numerical simulations, and the changes of aerodynamic side force, lift force and overturning moment with different wind speeds and wall heights were calculated. According to the principle of static moment balance of vehicles, the overturning coefficients of trains with different wind speeds and wall heights were obtained. Based on the influence of wind speed and wall height on the aerodynamic performance and the overturning stability of trains, a method of determination of the load balance ranges for the train operation safety was proposed, which made the overturning coefficient have nearly closed interval. A min(|A1|+|A2|), s.t. |A1|→|A2|(A1 refers to the downwind overturning coefficient and A2 refers to the upwind overturning coefficient)was found. This minimum value helps to lower the wall height as much as possible, and meanwhile, guarantees the operation safety of various types of trains under strong wind. This method has been used for the construction and improvement of the windbreak walls along the Lanzhou–Xinjiang railway(from Lanzhou to Urumqi, China).

Observation and Numerical Experiments for Drag Coefficient Under Typhoon Wind Forcing

This paper presents a study on drag coefficients under typhoon wind forcing based on observations and numerical experiments. The friction velocity and wind speed are measured at a marine observation platform in the South China Sea. Three typhoons: SOULIK(2013), TRAMI(2013) and FITOW(2013) are observed at a buoy station in the northeast sea area of Pingtan Island. A new parameterization is formulated for the wind drag coefficient as a function of wind speed. It is found that the drag coefficient(Cd) increases linearly with the slope of 0.083′10^(-3) for wind speed less than 24 m s^(-1). To investigate the drag coefficient under higher wind conditions, three numerical experiments are implemented for these three typhoons using SWAN wave model. The wind input data are objective reanalysis datasets, which are assimilated with many sources and provided every six hours with the resolution of 0.125?×0.125?. The numerical simulation results show a good agreement with wave observation data under typhoon wind forcing. The results indicate that the drag coefficient levels off with the linear slope of 0.012′10^(-3) for higher wind speeds(less than 34 m s^(-1)) and the new parameterization improvese the simulation accuracy compared with the Wu(1982) default used in SWAN.

Characteristic Aerodynamic Loads and Load Effects on the Dynamics of a Floating Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

The development of offshore wind farms in deep water favors floating wind turbine designs, but floating horizontal axis wind turbines are facing the challenge of high cost of energy (CoE). The development of innovative designs to reduce the CoE is thus desirable, such as floating vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). This study demonstrates the characteristics of aerodynamic loads and load effects of a two-bladed floating VAWT supported by a semi-submersible platform. Fully coupled simulations are performed using the time-domain aero-hydro-servo-elastic code SIMO-RIFLEX-AC. It is found that thrust, lateral force, and aerodynamic torque vary considerably and periodically with the rotor azimuth angle. However, the variation in the generator torque can be alleviated to some extent by the control strategy applied. Moreover, the variations of platform motions and tensions in the mooring lines are strongly influenced by turbulent winds, whereas those of tower-base bending moments are not. The tower-base bending moments exhibit notable two-per-revolution (2P) response characteristics. © 2017 Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany

Probabilistic Load Flow Considering Correlation between Generation, Loads and Wind Power

In this paper a procedure is established for solving the Probabilistic Load Flow in an electrical power network, considering correlation between power generated by power plants, loads demanded on each bus and power injected by wind farms. The method proposed is based on the generation of correlated series of power values, which can be used in a MonteCarlo simulation, to obtain the probability density function of the power through branches of an electrical network.

Measurements of Wind Loads on Side-by-Side Semi-Submersibles in A Wind Tunnel

The multi-body system has been a popular form for offshore operations in terms of high efficiency.The wind effects are crucial which directly affect the relative positions of floating bodies and operating security.In this study,the aerodynamic characteristics for two coupled semi-submersibles were analyzed in a wind tunnel to fill the gaps in literature related to the wind sheltering on offshore platforms.The influences of separation distance were also investigated.According to the results,substantial shielding effects were observed and wind forces on the shielded vessel decreased dramatically:a reduction in the transverse force could be up to 74%.Moreover,the longitudinal wind load was amplified by the platform abreast in a side-by-side configuration.As expected,the interference level became more pronounced with a decreasing separation distance.For cases in which wind interaction decayed rapidly with distance,logarithmic functions were preferable for describing the relationship between them.Whereas linear fitting was reasonable for the transverse wind force when there was still evident sheltering at a quite large distance.The length of shielding area was another important factor that there was approximately a linear relationship between it and the shielding level for two platforms in close proximity at various wind attack angles.Based on the two parameters,a preliminary wind loads estimation method considering shielding effects was proposed.This approach can aid the industry to have a qualitative assessment of wind sheltering especially at early stages.

Numerical Simulation for Prediction of Wind Loads on Building Surfaces

The reliability of the numerical K ε model for determining wind pressure on building surfaces is evaluated. The solution algorithm is based on a body fitted non orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system and a staggered grid arrangement. The covariant velocity components are chosen as dependent variables. Convective fluxes are described by the Power Law Scheme. The grids are generated with an elliptic grid generator using control functions. The results compare favorably with those by Oxford wind tunnel measurements.

Investigating the Efficiency Coefficient of Pile Group in Clay Under Two-Way Lateral Load

This research investigates the behavior of a 2×2 pile group under two-directional lateral loads in addition to the vertical load.Through three-dimensional numerical modeling based on Flac 3D software,the study examines the total bearing capacity and efficiency coefficient of the pile group,considering factors such as the angle of lateral load,relative pile spacing,and relative stiffness of the pile-soil system.The findings highlight the significance of these factors in understanding and predicting the response of pile groups to changing lateral load directions.The results reveal that increasing the angle of the lateral load from 0°to 45°enhances both the maximum total lateral load and the efficiency coefficient of the pile group.When the relative stiffness of the pile-soil system significantly increases,soil stiffening occurs and reducing the relative spacing of the piles from 7 to 3 times the diameter of the piles diminishes the influence of the pile group.Consequently,the response of the pile group to lateral loads becomes more linear,with only a slight alteration in the maximum total lateral load and the efficiency coefficient when the lateral load is angled from 0°to 45°.Conversely,increasing the relative distance between the piles,specifically from 3 to 7 times the diameter of the piles,amplifies the influence of the pile group.Both the maximum total lateral load and the efficiency coefficient of the pile group exhibit an observed increase.These provide insights for designing pile groups and optimizing their performance under lateral loading conditions.

Effects of sudden change in wind loads on running performance of trains on a highway-railway one-story bridge in crosswinds

To investigate the effects of sudden change in wind loads on the running performance of trains on the bridge in crosswinds,a highway-railway one-story bridge was taken as the research object.Aerodynamic coefficients of the train and the bridge were measured in a series of train-bridge system segment models through wind tunnel tests when two trains passed each other on the bridge and when a train entered and left the wind barrier section of the bridge.Based on the improved SIMPACK and ANSYS rigid-flexible coupling simulation method,a wind-double train-track-bridge system coupled vibration model was established.The dynamic responses of the train were analyzed under the effects of sudden change in wind loads caused by two trains passing each other and a train entering and leaving the wind barrier section of the bridge.The results show that the effects of sudden wind load change caused by the trains passing each other had less effects on the running safety of the leeward-side train than the wind shielding effect caused by the windward-side train in the wind speed range of 10−25 m/s.With the decrease in the porosity of wind barriers,the effects of the sudden wind load change played an increasingly important role in the running safety and comfort of the train.With the increase in wind speed,the lateral response of the train increased obviously because of the effects of sudden wind load change,which affects both the lateral running stability and the comfort of the train.

A method of determining the permeability coefficient of coal seam based on the permeability of loaded coal

This study developed the equipment for thermo-fluid–solid coupling of methane-containing coal, and investigated the seepage character of loaded coal under different working conditions. Regarding the effective pressure as a variable, the variation characteristics of the gas permeability of loaded methane-containing coal has been studied under the conditions of different confining pressures and pore pressures. The qualitative and quantitative relationship between effective stress and permeability of loaded methane-containing coal has been established, considering the adsorption of deformation, amount of pore gas compression and temperature variation. The results show that the permeability of coal samples decreases along with the increasing effective stress. Based on the Darcy law, the correlation equation between the effective stress and permeability coefficient of coal seam has been established by combining the permeability coefficient of loaded coal and effective stress. On the basis of experimental data, this equation is used for calculation, and the results are in accordance with the measured gas permeability coefficient of coal seam. In conclusion, this method can be accurate and convenient to determine the gas permeability coefficient of coal seam, and provide evidence for forecasting that of the deep coal seam.

Study on longitudinal wind load calculation method of cables for cable-stayed bridge

Along with the expanding of span of cable-stayed bridge,wind load becomes a more and more important controlling factor for bridge the design.A very large proportion of the wind load acting on cables has exceeded that acting on deck.There was not any detailed prescript in Chinese code for calculation of longitudinal wind load on cables due to lack of theoretical research and experiment,and conservative simplified calculation was adopted during design,which leads to conservative and uneconomical design of structures.To resolve this problem,cable force experiment was carried out during the design of Sutong Bridge.By comparing with international research results,the calculation formula of longitudinal wind drag coefficient for cables was advanced to fill the blank of bridge wind resistant code of China,and has already been adopted in the Highway Bridge Wind Resistant Design Code(JTG/T D60-01-2004)with great significance for bridge engineering.