Effects of sand sedimentation and wind erosion around sand barrier:Numerical simulation and wind tunnel test studies

Based on numerical simulations,this study highlights the sedimentation and erosion problems around a sand barrier through the relationship between the shear stress of the surface around the sand barrier and the critical shear stress of sand grains.The numerical simulation results were verified using data measured by the wind tunnel test.The results showed that when the porosity was the same,the size and position of the vortex on the leeward side of the sand barrier were related to the inlet wind speed.As the wind speed increased,the vortex volume increased and the positions of the separation and reattachment points moved toward the leeward side.When the porosity of the sand barrier was 30%,the strength of the acceleration zone above the sand barrier was the highest,and the strength of the acceleration zone was negatively correlated with the porosity.Sand erosion and sedimentation distance were related to wind speed.With an increase in wind speed,the sand grain forward erosion or reverse erosion areas on the leeward side of the sand barrier gradually replaced the sedimentation area.With an increase in porosity,the sand sedimentation distance on the leeward side of the sand barrier gradually shortened,and the sand erosion area gradually disappeared.The sand sedimentation distance on the leeward side of the sand barrier with 30%porosity was the longest.The numerical simulation results were in good agreement with the wind tunnel test results.Based on the sand erosion and sedimentation results of the numerical simulation and wind tunnel test,when the porosity was 30%,the protection effect of the High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)board sand barrier was best.

An Investigation into the Effects of the Reynolds Number on High-Speed Trains Using a Low Temperature Wind Tunnel Test Facility

A series of tests have been conducted using a Cryogenic Wind Tunnel to study the effect of Reynolds number(Re)on the aerodynamic force and surface pressure experienced by a high speed train.The test Reynolds number has been varied from 1 million to 10 million,which is the highest Reynolds number a wind tunnel has ever achieved for a train test.According to our results,the drag coefficient of the leading car decreases with higher Reynolds number for yaw angles up to 30º.The drag force coefficient drops about 0.06 when Re is raised from 1 million to 10 million.The side force is caused by the high pressure at the windward side and the low pressure generated by the vortex at the lee side.Both pressure distributions are not appreciably affected by Reynolds number changes at yaw angles up to 30°.The lift force coefficient increases with higher Re,though the change is small.At a yaw angle of zero the down force coefficient is reduced by a scale factor of about 0.03 when the Reynolds number is raised over the considered range.At higher yaw angles the lift force coefficient is reduced about 0.1.Similar to the side force coefficient,the rolling moment coefficient does not change much with Re.The magnitude of the pitching moment coefficient increases with higher Re.This indicates that the load on the front bogie is higher at higher Reynolds numbers.The yawing moment coefficient increases with Re.This effect is more evident at higher yaw angles.The yawing moment coefficient increases by about 6%when Re is raised from 1 million to 10 million.The influence of Re on the rolling moment coefficient around the leeward rail is relatively smaller.It increases by about 2%over the considered range of Re.

Aerodynamic coefficient of vehicle-bridge system by wind tunnel test

The changes of three components of aerodynamic force were discussed with the attack angle conversion for three kinds of section models. Based on the project of Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge, the wind tunnel test was conducted to obtain its three components of aerodynamic force including 75 conditions of the construction stage, the bridge without vehicles and the bridge with vehicles from - 12 degrees to ＋ 12 degrees. For the bridge with vehicles, the drag force coefficient and the absolute value of both lift coefficient and moment coefficient were decreased by the vehicles. The test resuh shows that the bridge railing and vehicles have much influence on the three components of aerodynamic force of the vehicle-bridge system for Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge.

Wind tunnel test and numerical simulation of wind pressure on a high-rise building

We carried out a wind tunnel test to measure cladding loads for a high-rise building of 295 m in height, which would be located in the business center of Chongqing Municipality, P. R. China. The rigid model was used to determine fluctuating local pressures on the exterior surfaces of the building. The wind tunnel test results show the cr/tical zone of wind pressures on building surfaces in both standalone and interference conditions. The computational fluid dynamics （CFD） was conducted by using the FLUENT Code to compare with the wind tunnel test results, and the steady three-dimensional turbulent flow with Realizable k-ε as a turbulence model was used. The CFD results are agree with the wind tunnel test results in regards to distributions of wind pressures over a high-rise building＇s surfaces.

Research on wind erosion processes and controlling factors based on wind tunnel test and 3D laser scanning technology

The study of wind erosion processes is of great importance to the prevention and control of soil wind erosion.In this study,three structurally intact soil samples were collected from the steppe of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China and placed in a wind tunnel where they were subjected to six different wind speeds(10,15,17,20,25,and 30 m/s)to simulate wind erosion in the wind tunnel.After each test,the soil surfaces were scanned by a 3D laser scanner to create a high-resolution Digital Elevation Model(DEM),and the changes in wind erosion mass and microtopography were quantified.Based on this,we performed further analysis of wind erosion-controlling factors.The study results showed that the average measurement error between the 3D laser scanning method and weighing method was 6.23%for the three undisturbed soil samples.With increasing wind speed,the microtopography on the undisturbed soil surface first became smooth,and then fine stripes and pits gradually developed.In the initial stage of wind erosion processes,the ability of the soil to resist wind erosion was mainly affected by the soil hardness.In the late stage of wind erosion processes,the degree of soil erosion was mainly affected by soil organic matter and CaCO_(3)content.The results of this study are expected to provide a theoretical basis for soil wind erosion control and promote the application of 3D laser scanners in wind erosion monitoring.

Wind tunnel tests on aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles on same-storey highway and rail bridge under crosswind

In recent years,the safety and comfort of road vehicles driving on bridges under crosswinds have attracted more attention due to frequent occurrences of wind-induced disasters.This study focuses on a container truck and CRH2 high-speed train as research targets.Wind tunnel experiments are performed to investigate shielding effects of trains on aerodynamic characteristics of trucks.The results show that aerodynamic interference between trains and trucks varies with positions of trains(upstream,downstream)and trucks(upwind,downwind)and numbers of trains.To summarize,whether the train is upstream or downstream of tracks has basically no effect on aerodynamic forces,other than moments,of a truck driving on windward sides of bridges(upwind).In contrast,the presence of trains on the bridge deck has a significant impact on aerodynamic characteristics of a truck driving on leeward sides(downwind)at the same time.The best shielding effect on lateral forces of trucks occurs when the train is located downstream of tracks.Finally,the pressure measuring system shows that only lift forces on trains are affected by trucks,while other forces and moments are primarily affected by adjacent trains.

Wind tunnel testing of wind pressures on a large gymnasium roof

A wind tunnel test was conducted for a large steel gymnasium structure. Simultaneous pressure measurements were made on its entire ellipsoidal roof in a simulated suburban boundary layer flow field. Special attention is paid to the charaeteristics of fluctuating wind pressures in different zones on the roof. Some selected results are presented： 1） correlations between fluctuating wind pressures on both roof surfaces, 2） eigenvalues and eigenvectors of covariance matrices of the fluctuating wind pressures, 3） probability distributions of the fluctuating wind pressures, and 4） statistical characteristics of peak factor. Furthermore, the applicability of the quasi-steady approach is discussed in detail. Based on the results, an empirical formula for estimating the minimum pressure coefficients, using a peak factor approach, is presented. Comparison of the minimum pressure coefficients determined by the proposed formula and those obtained from the wind tunnel tests is made to examine the applicability and accuracy of the proposed formula.

Wind Tunnel Test and Numerical Computation on Ice Accretion on Blade Airfoil for Straight-bladed VAWT

To invest the condition of ice accretion on the blade used for straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine （SB-VAWT）, wind tunnel tests were carried out on a blade with NACA0015 airfoil by using a small simple icing wind tunnel. Tests were carried out at some typical attack angles under different wind speeds and flow discharges of a water spray with wind. The icing shape and area on blade surface were recorded and measured, Then the numerical computation was carded out to calculate the lift and drag coefficients of the blade before and after ice accretion according to the experiment result, the effect of icing on the aerodynamic characteristics of blade were discussed.

Wind Tunnel Test on the Wind-Resistant Behavior of a Long-Span Cable-Stayed Bridge during Erection

In order to investigate the aerodynamic behavior of the Sutong bridge over Yangtze River during erection, a 1：50 sectional model of the bridge deck, a 1： 100 full aeroelastic model of the free standing pylon and a 1： 125 full aeroelastic model for the maxim cantilever configuration were built. The test results show that there was no serious vortex-induced vibration at the bridge deck, and that the free standing tower, the model scale and the turbulence intensity influenced static loading. The buffeting responses during the maximum cantilever configuration did not affect the safety of the bridge under construction.

Effects of Tuned Mass Damper on Wind-Induced Vibration of Free Standing Pylon by Wind Tunnel Test

In order to assess the effects of tuned mass dampers （TMDs） on wind actions, an aeroelastic model with a scale of 1：60 was constructed. Tests were performed in an atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel to investigate the buffeting response of the pylon with a TMD fixed by a wire rope instead of a spring. The model was tested under different levels of damping. The experimental and numerical results showed that with the TMD in the optimal condition, the buffeting response was reduced by 47%.

Similarity Study on Snowdrift Wind Tunnel Test

The model for snowdrift wind tunnel test needs to be similar with the prototype. Based on detailed analysis in aspects of geometry, kinematics and dynamics, the major similarity parameters that need to be satisfied are gained. The contradiction between the Reynolds number and Froude number as well as the problem of time scale is introduced, and the selections of the model parameters are specified. Lastly, an example of snowdrift wind tunnel test by adoption of quartz sand as the model of snow grains is presented. The flow field and the snow distributions on a typical stepped roof were investigated. The results show that the flow filed characters are in good agreement with the field observations, and the stepped roof snow depth distributions are basically consistent with the observation results.

Design of a large-scale model for wind tunnel test of a multiadaptive flap concept

The design and application of morphing systems are ongoing issues compelling the aviation industry.The Clean Sky-program represents the most significant aeronautical research ever launched in Europe on advanced technologies for greening next-generation aircraft.The primary purpose of the program is to develop new concepts aimed at decreasing the effects of aviation on the environment,increasing reliability,and promoting eco-friendly mobility.These ambitions are pursued through research on enabling technologies fostering noise and gas emissions reduction,mainly by improving aircraft aerodynamic performances.Within the Clean Sky framework,a multimodal morphing flap device was designed based on tight industrial requirements and tailored for large civil aircraft applications.The flap is deployed in one unique setting,and its cross section is morphed differently in take-off and landing to get the necessary extra lift for the specific flight phase.Moreover,during the cruise,the tip of the flap is deflected for load control and induced drag reduction.Before manufacturing the first flap prototype,a high-speed(Ma=0.3),large-scale test campaign(geometric scale factor 1:3)was deemed necessary to validate the performance improvements brought by this novel system at the aircraft level.On the other hand,the geometrical scaling of the flap prototype was considered impracticable due to the unscalability of the embedded mechanisms and actuators for shape transition.Therefore,a new architecture was conceived for the flap model to comply with the scaled dimensions requirements,withstand the relevant loads expected during the wind tunnel tests and emulate the shape transition capabilities of the true-scale flap.Simplified strategies were developed to effectively morph the model during wind tunnel tests while ensuring the robustness of each morphed configuration and maintaining adequate stiffness levels to prevent undesirable deviations from the intended aerodynamic shapes.Additionally,a simplified design was conceived for the flap-wing interface,allowing for quick adjustments of the flap setting and enabling load transmission paths like those arising between the full-scale flap and the wing.The design process followed for the definition of this challenging wind tunnel model has been addressed in this work,covering the definition of the conceptual layout,the numerical evaluation of the most severe loads expected during the test,and the verification of the structural layout by means of advanced finite element analyses.

Protective benefits of HDPE board sand fences in an environment with variable wind directions on Gobi surfaces:wind tunnel study

The Golmud-Korla Railway in the Gobi area faces operational challenges due to sand hazards,caused by strong and variable winds.This study addresses these challenges by conducting wind tunnel tests to evaluate the protective benefits of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)board sand fences,focusing on their orientation relative to various wind directions(referred to as'wind angle').This study found that the size of the low-velocity zone on the leeward side of the sand fences(LSF)expanded with an increase in the wind angle(WA).At 1H(the height of the sand fence)and 2H positions on the LSF,the wind speed profiles(WSP)exhibited a segmented logarithmic growth,constrained by Z=H at varying WAs.The efficacy of the sand fence in obstructing airflow escalated as WA increased.The size of the WA has a significant impact on the protective efficiency of HDPE board sand fences.Furthermore,compared to typical sandy surfaces,the rate of sand transport across the Gobi surface diminishes more slowly with height,attributed to the gravel's rebound effect.This phenomenon allows some sand particles to bypass the fences,rendering them less effective at blocking wind and trapping sand than in sandy environments.This paper offers scientific evidence supporting the practical use and enhancement of HDPE board sand fences in varied wind conditions.

Derivation and validation of a similarity law for free-flight wind tunnel tests of parallel stage separation

Aiming at the safety problem of the stage separation of parallel reusable high-speed air vehicles,this paper studies the unsteady test method and focuses on deriving a similarity law of parallel stage separation free-flight wind tunnel tests.The new similarity law considers the influences of aerodynamic force and gravity on the motions of the two stages,as well as the influence of aerodynamic interference between the two stages on each other’s motion.From the perspective of multiangle physical equations,the conditions to ensure that the two-stage separation trajectory of a wind tunnel test is similar to that of a real air vehicle are derived innovatively,so as to ensure the authenticity and credibility of wind tunnel test results.The similarity law is verified by an HIFiRE-5 air vehicle,and the separation trajectories of wind tunnel tests and the real air vehicle are obtained by numerical simulation.The research shows that the similarity law derived in this paper can ensure that wind tunnel free-flight tests have the ability to predict the two-stage separation characteristics of real parallel vehicles.By analyzing the separation trajectory curve of the typical state,it is found that the new method can ensure that the trajectory error of a wind tunnel test does not exceed 1%,which indicates that this method is credible.The establishment of the new method lays the foundation for subsequent wind tunnel tests and provides support for research on the safety of the stage separation of parallel reusable air vehicles.

Nonlinear flutter wind tunnel test and numerical analysis of folding fins with freeplay nonlinearities

The flutter characteristics of folding control fins with freeplay are investigated by numer- ical simulation and flutter wind tunnel tests. Based on the characteristics of the structures, fins with different freeplay angles are designed. For a 0° angle of attack, wind tunnel tests of these fins are conducted, and vibration is observed by accelerometers and a high-speed camera. By the expansion of the connected relationships, the governing equations of fit for the nonlinear aeroelastic analysis are established by the free-interface component mode synthesis method. Based on the results of the wind tunnel tests, the flutter characteristics of fins with different freeplay angles are analyzed. The results show that the vibration divergent speed is increased, and the divergent speed is higher than the flutter speed of the nominal linear system. The vibration divergent speed is increased along with an increase in the freeplay angle. The developed free-interface component mode synthesis method could be used to establish governing equations and to analyze the characteristics of nonlinear aeroe- lastic systems. The results of the numerical simulations and the wind tunnel tests indicate the same trends and critical velocities.

Optimization and design of an aircraft's morphing wing-tip demonstrator for drag reduction at low speeds, Part II- Experimental validation using Infra-Red transition measurement from Wind Tunnel tests

In the present paper, an ‘in-house＇ genetic algorithm was numerically and experimentally validated. The genetic algorithm was applied to an optimization problem for improving the aerodynamic performances of an aircraft wing tip through upper surface morphing. The optimization was performed for 16 flight cases expressed in terms of various combinations of speeds, angles of attack and aileron deflections. The displacements resulted from the optimization were used during the wind tunnel tests of the wing tip demonstrator for the actuators control to change the upper surface shape of the wing. The results of the optimization of the flow behavior for the airfoil morphing upper-surface problem were validated with wind tunnel experimental transition results obtained with infra-red Thermography on the wing-tip demonstrator. The validation proved that the 2D numerical optimization using the ‘in-house＇ genetic algorithm was an appropriate tool in improving various aspects of a wing＇s aerodynamic performances.

High-speed wind tunnel test of the CAE aerodynamic validation model

For the purpose of establishing and validating aerodynamic performance predictions at transonic Mach numbers, a wind tunnel test was conducted in the High-Speed Tunnel（HST） of the German-Dutch Wind Tunnels. The test article is the aerodynamic validation model from the Chinese Aeronautical Establishment, which is a full-span scale model representation of a business jet aircraft. The wind tunnel test comprised of parallel deployments of balance, pressures, infrared thermography, and model marker measurement techniques. Dedicated investigations with a dummy support were conducted as well, in order to derive and correct for the interference that the support system imposed on the overall model loads. This enabled the establishment of a comprehensive dataset in which the steady overall model loads, the wing load distribution, the state of the wing boundary layer, and the aeroelastic wing shape were quantified for conditions up to and beyond the cruise Mach number of 0.85.

Proportional fuzzy feed-forward architecture control validation by wind tunnel tests of a morphing wing

In aircraft wing design,engineers aim to provide the best possible aerodynamic performance under cruise flight conditions in terms of lift-to-drag ratio.Conventional control surfaces such as flaps,ailerons,variable wing sweep and spoilers are used to trim the aircraft for other flight conditions.The appearance of the morphing wing concept launched a new challenge in the area of overall wing and aircraft performance improvement during different flight segments by locally altering the flow over the aircraft＇s wings.This paper describes the development and application of a control system for an actuation mechanism integrated in a new morphing wing structure.The controlled actuation system includes four similar miniature electromechanical actuators disposed in two parallel actuation lines.The experimental model of the morphing wing is based on a full-scale portion of an aircraft wing,which is equipped with an aileron.The upper surface of the wing is a flexible one,being closed to the wing tip;the flexible skin is made of light composite materials.The four actuators are controlled in unison to change the flexible upper surface to improve the flow quality on the upper surface by delaying or advancing the transition point from laminar to turbulent regime.The actuators transform the torque into vertical forces.Their bases are fixed on the wing ribs and their top link arms are attached to supporting plates fixed onto the flexible skin with screws.The actuators push or pull the flexible skin using the necessary torque until the desired vertical displacement of each actuator is achieved.The four vertical displacements of the actuators,correlated with the new shape of the wing,are provided by a database obtained through a preliminary aerodynamic optimization for specific flight conditions.The control system is designed to control the positions of the actuators in real time in order to obtain and to maintain the desired shape of the wing for a specified flight condition.The feasibility and effectiveness of the developed control system by use of a proportional fuzzy feed-forward methodology are demonstrated experimentally through bench and wind tunnel tests of the morphing wing model.

Gust load alleviation wind tunnel tests of a large-aspect-ratio flexible wing with piezoelectric control

An active control technique utilizing piezoelectric actuators to alleviate gust-response loads of a large-aspect-ratio flexible wing is investigated. Piezoelectric materials have been extensively used for active vibration control of engineering structures. In this paper, piezoelectric materials further attempt to suppress the vibration of the aeroelastic wing caused by gust. The motion equation of the flexible wing with piezoelectric patches is obtained by Hamilton＇s principle with the modal approach, and then numerical gust responses are analyzed, based on which a gust load alleviation（GLA） control system is proposed. The gust load alleviation system employs classic propor tional-integral-derivative（PID） controllers which treat piezoelectric patches as control actuators and acceleration as the feedback signal. By a numerical method, the control mechanism that piezoelectric actuators can be used to alleviate gust-response loads is also analyzed qualitatively. Furthermore, through low-speed wind tunnel tests, the effectiveness of the gust load alleviation active control technology is validated. The test results agree well with the numerical results. Test results show that at a certain frequency range, the control scheme can effectively alleviate the z and x wingtip accelerations and the root bending moment of the wing to a certain extent. The control system gives satisfying gust load alleviation efficacy with the reduction rate being generally over 20%.

Time-domain nonlinear aeroelastic analysis and wind tunnel test of a flexible wing using strain-based beam formulation

A theoretical formulation for time-domain nonlinear aeroelastic analysis of a flexible wing model is presented and validated by wind tunnel tests. A strain-based beam model for nonlinear structural analysis is combined with the Unsteady Vortex Lattice Method(UVLM) to form the complete framework for aeroelastic analysis. The nonlinear second-order differential equations are solved by an implicit time integration scheme that incorporates a Newton-Raphson sub-iteration technique. An advanced fiber optic sensing technique is firstly used in a wind tunnel for measuring large structural deformations. In the theoretical study, the nonlinear flutter boundary is determined by analyzing the transient response about the nonlinear static equilibrium with a series of flow velocities. The gust responses of the wing model at various gust frequencies are also studied. Comparisons of the theoretical and experimental results show that the proposed method is suitable for determining the nonlinear flutter boundary and simulating the gust response of flexible wings in the time domain.