SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT – I- Industrial Aerodynamics – SAE1610

1
 Unit I
Wind Energy Collectors

INTRODUCTION

Air Movement

Wind Air Current Circulation

The horizontal movement of air along the earth’s surface is called a Wind. The vertical
movement of the air is known as an air current. Winds and air current together comprise a
system of circulation in the atmosphere.

TYPES OF WINDS
On the earth’s surface, certain winds blow constantly in a particular direction throughout
the year. These are known as the ‘Prevailing Winds’. They are also called the Permanent or the
Planetary Winds. Certain winds blow in one direction in one season and in the opposite direction
in another. They are known as Periodic Winds. Then, there are Local Winds in different parts of
the world.

2
1. Planetary Winds:
There are three main planetary winds that constantly blow in the same direction all
around the world. They are also called prevailing or permanent winds.
1. Trade Winds:
Blow from the subtropical high pressure belt towards the Equator. They are called the
north-east trades in the northern hemisphere and south-east trades in the southern hemisphere.
2. Westerly winds:
Blow from the same subtropical high pressure belts, towards 60˚ S and 60˚ N latitude.
They are called the sought Westerly wind sin the northern hemisphere and North Westerly winds
in the southern hemispheres.
3. Polar Winds
Blow from the polar high pressure to the sub polar low pressure area. In the northern
hemisphere, their direction is from the north-east. In the southern hemisphere, they blow from
the south-east.

2. Periodic Winds
These winds are known to blow for a certain time in a certain direction - it may be for a
part of a day or a particular season of the year.
Example 1: Land and Sea breeze
During the day, near an ocean, sea or
lake, the land heats up faster than the water.
The air above the land also gets heated. As
warm air rises, it draws cooler air from over the
water to blow towards the land, creating a sea
breeze.
At night, the opposite conditions
prevail. The land loses heat rapidly while the
sea is still warm. The air resting over the land
is cold while the air resting over the sea is
warm and rises creating a low pressure area. A
land breeze thus blows in from the high

3
pressure over the land towards the water. These land and sea breezes maintain air circulation in
the coastal areas and have a moderating effect on the temperatures.
Example 2: Monsoons
They are land and sea breezes on a large scale. The
word ‘monsoon’ comes from the Arabic word ‘mausim’
meaning weather. They change or reverse their directions
according to the seasons. Strong contrasts in temperature
between summer and winter because great differences in
pressure conditions over the interior parts of the big continents like Asia. Hence winds blow
onshore from a sea to the land in summer and from land to the sea in winter. The onshore winds
bring moisture and heavy rainfall while the offshore winds are relatively dry. Although the
monsoons are associated with south-east USA, Australia, parts of South America and East Africa
they are most effective over south-east Asia and India blows from June to September while the
winter monsoons prevails from October to December.
Example 3: Mountain and Valley Breezes (tertiary circulation)
During the day, the valley heats up, so the warm less dense air flows up the mountain,
creating a valley breeze.

At night, the mountain will cool off faster than the valley, so the cool mountain air
descends because it is more dense, creating a mountain breeze.

3. Local Winds
On the earth’s surface, some local variations of temperature on the land may cause
changes in air pressure. As a result local winds blow. They blow in a particular season and are

4
known by the local names in that region. For instance, the hot dry, dusty winds that blow in the
month of May and June over the northern plains in India are called Loo.
Some other examples of local winds that bring unusual changes in the temperature of the
places are the warm Chinooks that devour the snow on the leeward side of the Rocky mountains
of North America, the Foehn in the Swiss Alps and the hot, sand laden Siocco that blows over
Southern Europe from the Sahara and causes ‘blood rain’ which is actually desert sand and dust
that falls with the rain.
There are still other types of winds that are irregular and keep changing their direction
and blow in an area for a very short time, such as tornadoes, typhoons and cyclones.

CAUSES OF VARIATION OF WINDS

The movement and the speed of wind are affected by three main factors
1. Pressure Gradient Force

 The change in pressure measured across a given distance is called a "pressure gradient".
 The pressure gradient results in a net force that is directed from high to low pressure. The
magnitude of the force depends on
1) How great the pressure difference is between the high pressure area and low pressure area

2) how far apart the two pressure areas are from each other. A large difference in pressure combined
with pressure areas that are close to each other will cause a huge pressure gradient which produces a
strong wind.

2. Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis Effect (also called the Coriolis force) is defined as the apparent deflection of
objects (such as airplanes, wind, missiles, and ocean currents) moving in a straight path relative
to the earth's surface.

If the Earth did not rotate upon its axis, winds would
follow the direction of the pressure gradient. But the
rotation produces another force other than the pressure
force. It is called the ‘Coriolis force’.

5
  Causes air to move in a curved path
 It is caused by the Earth spinning on its axis
 The Earth spins fastest at the equator, and
slowest near the poles
 As air moves from the equator to the pole, it
will travel east faster than the land beneath it
causing the air to follow a curved path
 So the Coriolis effect causes wind flowing
from high pressure to low pressure to curve
as the wind moves
 In the Northern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes things to curve to the Right
 In the Southern Hemisphere, the Coriolis effect causes things to curve to the Left
3. Friction
The surface of the Earth exerts a frictional drag on the air blowing just above it. This
friction can act to change the wind's direction and slow it down -- keeping it from blowing as fast
as the wind aloft. Actually, the difference in terrain conditions directly affects how much friction
is exerted. For example, a calm ocean surface is pretty smooth, so the wind blowing over it does
not move up, down, and around any features. By contrast, hills and forests force the wind to slow
down and/or change direction much more.

ATMOSPHERIC BOUNDARY LAYER

The planetary boundary layer (PBL), also known as the atmospheric boundary layer
(ABL), is the lowest part of the atmosphere and its behavior is directly influenced by its contact
with a planetary surface. Above the PBL is the "free atmosphere" where the wind is
approximately geostrophic (parallel to the isobars) while within the PBL the wind is affected by
surface drag. The free atmosphere is usually non-turbulent.

6
Structure of the Planetary Boundary Layer

The PBL can be subdivided into four separate component layers: the surface layer, the
mixed layer, the stable layer, and the residual layer. We will discuss each of these in turn.

(or)

1. Mixed Layer(or) Convective Boundary Layer (CBL)

During the daytime, surface heating leads to convective motion in the PBL. Heat transfer
from the surface forms rising warm air. Radiative cooling from clouds forms sinking cooler air.
Convective motion also leads to significant turbulence which mixes the air within this layer.
Because of the convective motion and significant mixing of air, this sub-layer is called the
convective layer or mixed layer. Above the mixed layer is a stable layer which prevents the
continued upward motion of thermals. This stable layer also restricts turbulence, preventing
frictional influences from reaching above the PBL. This stable layer is called the entrainment
zone, because it is here where air from above the PBL entrains into the mixed layer. During the
day, the mixed layer reaches heights over 1 km and make up the entire layer of the PBL above
the surface layer. However, the mixed layer vanishes with the sun as the thermally driven
convection ceases.

2. Stable Layer(or) Nocturnal Boundary Layer (NBL)

After sunset, convective motion dramatically decreases. However, the earth's surface still
affects the air, and a stable boundary layer forms (also called the nocturnal boundary layer). This
boundary layer is charaterized by light winds and weaker, more sporadic turbulence than in the
mixed layer. The height of the PBL, therefore, decreases significantly during the night. Though
the height of the nocturnal layer varies, it is usually less than half that of the mixed layer. Unlike

7
the mixed layer, the stable boundary layer does not have a well-defined top. Instead, it slowly
merges with the residual layer.

3. Residual Layer

As turbulence and the mixed layer decay with sunset, the air maintains many of the state
variables that the well-mixed air had. This layer is called the residual layer (because its
properties are residuals of the mixed layer) and forms above the stable boundary layer. While the
nocturnal boundary layer has a very stable profile, the residual layer tends to have more of a
neutral profile. The residual layer does not have contact with the earth's surface, and so is not
influenced by turbulent stresses like the stable boundary layer below it. The residual layer is
bounded above by a capping inversion, which approximates the height of the daytime height of
the mixed layer. This inversion simply prevents entrainment from aloft.

Because the residual layer is not influenced directly by the earth's surface (i.e. no
turbulent stresses) it is not considered a boundary layer. However, we include it in our discussion
for descriptive purposes. Only the mixed layer and stable layer are true boundary layers.

4. Mixing Height (or) Gradient Height (or) Height of the PBL

Because turbulent fluxes vary based on surface heating and other factors, the height of
the PBL also varies. At night, the height of the PBL decreases dramatically as the stable layer
forms. The height of the PBL is called the mixing height, because it is the height up to which the
air is well-mixed. The mixing height is very important to air quality experts when determining
air pollution dispersion. We will cover this more in the Focus on Air Quality section. Meanwhile,
we'll look at some of the factors which influence the PBL.

EFFECT OF TERRAIN ON GRADIENT HEIGHT

For winds near ground surface, frictional effects play a significant role. Ground
obstruction retard the movement of air close to the ground surface, causing a reduction in wind
speed.

At some height above ground, the movement of air is no longer affected by ground
obstruction. This height is called gradient height (ZG) which is a function of ground roughness.

8
The unobstructed wind speed is called gradient wind speed (VZg) and it is considered to be
constant above gradient height.

Wind Profile

Wind profile is the variation of mean wind speed with height above ground.It is usually
represented by power law or logarithmic law.

1. Power law

The Power law, which is used by some engineers to represent variation of wind speed
with height, is an empirical equation, which for the case of mean speeds takes the form of

𝛼
𝑉𝑍 𝑍
=[ ]
𝑉𝑍𝑔 𝑍𝑔

Where,
Vz, Vzg = the wind speeds at height Z, Zg respectively, and
α = the power law exponent.
(Zg and α are functions of ground roughness)

2. Logarithmic law

The Logarithmic law is used by both engineers and meteorologists. It is based on physics
of the boundary layer and it is valid in the bottom 20 to 30% of the boundary layer.
𝑍
Mean wind speed ̅𝑉= 2.5 × 𝑈 ∗ × 𝑙𝑛
𝑍 𝑍𝑜

Where,

Zo= Roughness length – see typical values in Table 1

𝑐𝑜
U*= Friction velocity = √
𝜌

τo= Shear stress at the ground surface

ρ= Air density

9
 Table 1: Typical values of parameters in wind profiles based on effect of terrain type

Mean
Gradient Roughness
Terrain speed
Terrain description height length
category exponent
Zg (m) Zo (m)
α
1 Open sea, ice, tundra, desert 250 0.001 0.11
Open country with low scrub or scattered
2 300 0.03 0.15
trees
Suburban areas, small towns, well
3 400 0.3 0.25
wooded areas
Numerous tall buildings. City centers,
4 500 3 0.36
well developed industrial areas

Figure: Variation of wind speed with height for different terrain types
The turbulence created is higher in rougher terrain than in smoother terrain. Turbulence
decreases with increasing height above ground.

Turbulence Intensity

The most commonly used parameter to define turbulence in time domain isturbulence
intensity. It is a measure of the relative amplitude of the fluctuationscompared to the mean
component of wind. It is expressed as:

𝜎
𝑇𝑢 =
𝑉𝑍

10
Where,

Tu = The turbulence intensity.

σ = The root mean square of wind speed, and
VZ= The mean wind speed.
Turbulence intensity decreases with height since the mean wind speed increasesand the
fluctuation of wind decreases.

11
 SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT – II- Industrial Aerodynamics – SAE1610

12
WIND ENERGY

Wind energy is produced by the movement of air (wind) and converted into power for
human use. Wind has been used as a source of energy for more than a thousand years, but was
replaced by fossil fuels for much of the 20th century. Today, wind is making a comeback as a
source of electricity and power.

WIND ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM

An apparatus for converting the kinetic energy available in the wind to mechanical
energy that can be used to power machinery (grain mills, water pumps, etc) and/or to operate an
electrical generator.

Windmills

Windmills convert wind energy directly into mechanical energy for such tasks as milling
grain or pumping water, which is usually the purpose of windmills you see on farms.

Windmill Mechanism

The spinning vanes of a windmill turn a camshaft, which is connected by gears and rods
to the machinery that does the work. All power is directed into the work

Wind Turbines

A wind turbine converts wind energy into electricity, which can then be used to power
electrical equipment, stored in batteries or transmitted over power lines.

13
Wind Turbine Mechanism

The blades turn, convert the energy of wind into rotational energy, a form of mechanical
energy, and this energy is in turn converted into electrical energy.A wind turbine has essentially
the same parts as a simple electric motor, but it works in reverse: A motor uses electrical current
to produce motion; a wind turbine uses motion to create electrical current.

Wind Farms

In order to generate a large amount of electricity, wind turbines are often constructed in
large groups called wind farms. Wind farms are made up of hundreds of turbines, spaced out
over hundreds of acres.

The two main categories of wind turbines are

1. Vertical axis wind turbines and

2. Horizontal axis wind turbines.

HORIZONTAL AXIS MACHINES

A wind turbine in which the axis of the rotor's rotation is

parallel to the wind stream and the ground. All grid-connected
commercial wind turbines today are built with a propeller-type
rotor on a horizontal axis. Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT)
have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a
tower, and may be pointed into or out of the wind. Small turbines
are pointed by a simple wind vane, while large turbines generally
use a wind sensor coupled with a servo motor. Most have a
gearbox, which turns the slow rotation of the blades into a quicker
rotation that is more suitable to drive an electrical generator.

HAWTs can be subdivided into upwind wind turbines and downwind wind turbines.
Compare with vertical-axis wind turbine.

14
Parts of the wind turbine

1. Blades

Most wind turbines have three blades. Very small turbines may use two blades for ease of
construction and installation. Vibration intensity decreases with larger numbers of blades. Noise
and wear are generally lower, and efficiency higher, with three instead of two blades.

Also, the cost of the turbine usually increases with the number of blades. Based on blade
style classified as Leading
Edge L F

Trailing
 The lifting style wind turbine blade. These are the most Wind D Edge

Angle
of
efficiently designed, especially for capturing energy of strong, Attack

fast winds.
 The drag style wind turbine blade, most popularly used for
water mills, as seen in the old Dutch windmills. The blades
are flattened plates which catch the wind. These are poorly
designed for capturing the energy of heightened winds.

2. Rotor

The rotor is designed aerodynamically to capture the maximum surface area of wind in
order to spin the most ergonomically. The blades are lightweight, durable and corrosion-resistant
material. The best materials are composites of fiberglass and reinforced plastic.

15
3. Gear box

A gear box magnifies or amplifies the energy

Low Speed Gear
output of the rotor. The gear box is situated directly Lower
speed shaft
between the rotor and the generator. A rotor rotates the
generator (which is protected by a nacelle), as directed Higher
Speed
by the tail vane. shaft

High Speed
4. Generator Gear

The generator produces electricity from the rotation of the rotor. Generators come in
various sizes, relative to the output you wish to generate. The nacelle is the housing or enclosure
that seals and protects the generator and gear box from the elements. It is easily removed for
maintenance.

5. Yaw Mechanism

Yaw mechanism turns the rotor into the upwind direction as the wind direction changes.
Electric motors and gear boxes are used to keep the turbine yawed against wind. This can be also
used as controlling mechanism during high wind speeds.

6. Anemometers

Wind speed is the most important factor for determining the power content in the wind.
The power content in the wind is directly proportional to cube of the wind velocity. Measuring
wind speed is important for site selection. The device which is used for measuring wind speed is
called anemometer. These are usually located on top of the nacelle.

Advantages

 Higher wind speeds

 Great efficiency

Disadvantages

 Angle of turbine is relevant

 Difficult access to generator for repairs

16
VERTICAL AXIS MACHINES

A type of wind turbine in which the axis of

rotation is perpendicular to the wind stream and the
ground. A vertical-axis wind turbine’s (VAWTs) main
rotor shaft is set vertically and the main components are
located at the base of the turbine.VAWTs work somewhat
like a classical water wheel in which water arrives at a
right angle (perpendicular) to the rotational axis (shaft) of
the water wheel. Vertical-axis wind turbines fall into two
major categories: Darrieus turbines (Lift Device) and
Savonius turbines (Drag Device). Neither type is in wide use today.

The basic theoretical advantages of a vertical axis machine are:

 The generator, gearbox etc. may be placed on the ground, and a tower is not essential for
the machine
 A yaw mechanism isn't needed to turn the rotor against the wind

The basic disadvantages are:

 Wind speeds are very low close to ground level, so although a tower isn't essential, the
wind speeds will be very low on the lower part of the rotor
 The overall efficiency of the vertical axis machines is not impressive
 The machine is not self-starting, i.e. a Darrieus machine needs a "push" before it will
start. This is only a minor inconvenience for a grid-connected turbine, however, since the
generator may be used as a motor drawing current from the grid to to start the machine
 The machine may need guy wires to hold it up, but guy wires are impractical in heavily
farmed areas
 Replacing the main bearing for the rotor necessitates removing the rotor on both a
horizontal and a vertical axis machine. In the case of the latter, it means tearing the whole
machine down.

17
POWER COEFFICIENT, BETZ COEFFICIENT BY MOMENTUM THEORY

Introduction

Available Wind Energy

The kinetic energy of a stream of air:

1
E mV 2
2
Available Wind Power

Power is the energy per unittime and expressed

P=dE/dt
1
P   A V 3
2 a T
Power Co-efficient

The efficiency is the ratio of actual power developed by wind turbine rotor to the available wind
power. It is also defined as power coefficient and expressed as

Cp  1 PT 3
 AV
2 a T
The power coefficient or the power picked up by the wind turbine rotor is influenced by
many factors:
- profile of the rotor blade
- number of blades
- blade arrangement
Torque Co-efficient

The thrust force developed by the rotor is

1
F  A V 2
a T
2
The rotor torque is
1
T  A V 2R
a T
2

18
 The torque developed by the rotor shaft is less than the maximum theoretical torque and
given in terms of coefficient of torque
Tr
CT  1
2
 A V T
T
2
a

Tip Speed Ratio

R 2NR
Vrw  
V V
Where,
R = radius of the rotor
 = Angular velocity
N = Rotor rotational speed, rpm
Also, it can be shown that power coefficient and torque coefficient is related by relative speed:
CP R
 Vrw 
CT V
Solidity

Solidity is the ratio of total rotor plan form area to total swept area.

Solidity = 3a/A

Betz’ Limit

All wind power cannot be captured by rotor or air would be completely still behind rotor
and not allow more wind to pass through.Betz’ law States the theoretical limit for the conversion
of wind energy in wind turbine.According to this law maximum possible wind turbine efficiency
is less than 59.3 %

16
Cp,max   .5926
27

19
BETZ COEFFICIENT BY MOMENTUM THEORY

This analysis uses the following assumptions:

Figure: Actuator model of a wind turbine: U=Mean air velocity; 1,2,3,4, indicate locations

20
21
22
23
******************

24
25
 SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT – III- Industrial Aerodynamics – SAE1610

26
 Unit III
Ground Vehicle Aerodynamics

Ground Vehicle aerodynamics is the study of the aerodynamics of road vehicles. Its
main goals are reducing drag and wind noise, minimizing noise emission, and preventing
undesired lift forces and other causes of aerodynamic instability at high speeds. For some classes
of racing vehicles, it may also be important to produce downforce to improve traction and thus
cornering abilities.

Comparison with Aircraft Aerodynamics

Ground Vehicle aerodynamics differs from aircraft aerodynamics in several ways. First,
the characteristic shape of a road vehicle is much less streamlined compared to an aircraft.
Second, the vehicle operates very close to the ground, rather than in free air. Third, the operating
speeds are lower (and aerodynamic drag varies as the square of speed). Fourth, a ground vehicle
has fewer degrees of freedom than an aircraft, and its motion is less affected by aerodynamic
forces. Fifth, passenger and commercial ground vehicles have very specific design constraints
such as their intended purpose, high safety standards (requiring, for example, more 'dead'
structural space to act as crumple zones), and certain regulations.

VEHICLE POWER REQUIREMENTS

Resistance forces acting on a ground vehicle are

1. Aerodynamic
2. Rolling
3. Grade

F  ma  Ra  Rrl  Rg

27
Aerodynamic Resistance (Ra)

Composed of:

1. Turbulent air flow around vehicle body (85%)

2. Friction of air over vehicle body (12%)
3. Vehicle component resistance, from radiators and air vents (3%)

R C A V2
a
2 D f

Where,
CD = drag coefficient
ρ = Density of air 1.225 kg/m3
V = flow velocity
Af = characteristic frontal area of the body

Rolling Resistance (Rrl)

Composed primarily of

1. Resistance from tire deformation ( 90%)

2. Tire penetration and surface compression ( 4%)
3. Tire slippage and air circulation around wheel (  6%)

Rrl=C R.m.g

Where,
CR = coefficient of rolling resistance
m = mass of vehicle [kg]
g = 9.81 m/s

Grade Resistance Rg

Composed of

– Gravitational force acting on the vehicle

Rg  W sing

28
 The coefficients of rolling resistance and drag are determined from experiment. A typical
value for the coefficient of rolling resistance is 0.015. The drag coefficient for cars varies, a
value of 0.3 is commonly used.

The power output requirement can be determined from the drag force given above and
the vehicle velocity.

P = F.V

DRAG COEFFICIENTS OF AUTOMOBILES

⚫ The drag coefficient expresses the drag of an object in a moving fluid.

⚫ Reducing the drag coefficient in an automobile improves the performance of the vehicle as it
pertains to speed and fuel efficiency.

Drag force can be expressed as:

Fd = cd .(1/2).ρ.v2 .A

Where,

Fd = drag force (N)

cd = drag coefficient
ρ = Density of fluid 1.2 kg/m3
v = flow velocity
A = characteristic frontal area of
the body

Vehicle aerodynamics includes three interacting flow fields:

 flow past vehicle body

 flow past vehicle components (wheels, heat exchanger, brakes, windshield),
 flow in passenger compartment

AERODYNAMICS OF CAR
A body in motion is affected by aerodynamic forces. The aerodynamic force acts
externally on the body of a vehicle. The component of the resultant aerodynamic force which
opposes the forward motion is called the aerodynamic drag. The aerodynamic drag affects the
performance of a car in both speed and fuel economy as it is the power required to overcome the
opposing force. The other component, directed vertically, is called the aerodynamic lift. It
reduces the frictional forces between the tyres and the road thus changing dramatically the

29
handling characteristics of the vehicle. The aerodynamic force is the net result of all the changing
distributed pressures which airstreams exert on the car surface. Therefore aerodynamic studies
are very important as far as the car stability is concerned.

The main concerns of automotive aerodynamics are reducing drag, reducing wind noise,
and preventing undesired lift forces at high speeds. For some classes of vehicles, it may also be
important to produce desirable downwards aerodynamic forces, to improve cornering.

As the years passed the studies on aerodynamic effects on cars increased and the designs
were being developed to accommodate for the increasing needs and for economic reasons. The
wheels developed to be designed within the body, lowering as a result the aerodynamic drag and
produce a more gentle flow. The tail was for many years long and oddly shaped to maintain
attached streamline. The automobiles became developed even more with smooth bodies,
integrated fenders and headlamps enclosed in the body. The designers had achieved a shape of a
car that differed from the traditional horse-drawn carriages. They had certainly succeeded in
building cars with low drag coefficient.

Road conditions have limited the width of automobiles. It is said this width was
established by the width needed for two horses running comfortably side by side drawing a
carriage. Length is not as much of a restriction but long bodies were not efficient enough for
traffic use.

Aerodynamic drag

In order to explain the Aerodynamic drag the two forces - the frontal pressure and the
rear vacuum – have to be analyzed.

Frontal pressure is caused by the air attempting to flow around the front of the car. As
millions of air molecules approach the front part of the car, they begin to compress, and in doing
so raise the air pressure in front of the car. At the same time, the air molecules traveling along
the sides of the car are at atmospheric pressure, a lower pressure compared to the molecules at
the front of the car. The compressed molecules of air naturally seek a way out of the high
pressure zone in front of the car, and they find it around the sides, top and bottom of the car.

Rear vacuum or wake is caused by the "hole" left in the air as the car passes through it.
This empty area is a result of the air molecules not being able to fill the hole as quickly as the car
can make it. The air molecules attempt to fill in to this area, but the car is always one step ahead.
As a result, a continuous vacuum in the rear of the car sucks in the opposite direction of the
motion of the car. This inability to fill the hole left by the car is technically called Flow
detachment.

Flow detachment applies only to the "rear vacuum" portion of the drag equation, and it is
really about giving the air molecules time to follow the contours of a car's bodywork, and to fill
the hole left by the vehicle, it's tyres, it's suspension and protrusions (i.e. mirrors, roll bars).

30
 The flow attachment is very important because the drag created by the vacuum far
exceeds that created by frontal pressure, and this can be attributed to the turbulence created by
the detachment. That is why in the early years of automotive industry the cars used to be
designed with long tail. This was done as to maintain the streamlines created by the flow,
attached.

Turbulence generally affects the "rear vacuum" portion of the drag equation, but if we
look at a protrusion from the race car such as a mirror, we see a compounding effect. For
instance, the air flow detaches from the flat side of the mirror, which of course faces toward the
back of the car. The turbulence created by this detachment can then affect the air flow to parts of
the car which lie behind the mirror. Intake ducts, for instance, function best when the air entering
them flows smoothly. Therefore, the entire length of the car really needs to be optimized to
provide the least amount of turbulence at high speed.

Drag Coefficient

The shape of a car, as the aerodynamic theory above suggests, is largely responsible for how
much drag the car has. Ideally, the car body should:

 Have a small grill, to minimize frontal pressure. 

 Have minimal ground clearance below the grill, to minimize air flow under the car. In
combination to this, a raked underside with the rear of the car raised can create down
force.
 Have a steeply raked windshield to avoid pressure build up in front.
 Have a "Fastback" style rear window and deck, to permit the air flow to stay attached.
 Have a converging "Tail" to keep the air flow attached.

Air dams (also called front spoiler):

 An air dam is a panel that reduces ground clearance at the front of the car below the
bumper
 The smaller gap forces flow to locally accelerate under the air dam reducing pressure
under the car and creating downforce
 Lower air volume flow to underbody reduces drag due to underbody roughness

31
Splitter:

The splitter is a horizontal lip that

brought the airflow to stagnation above the
surface, causing an area of high pressure.
Below the splitter the air is accelerated, causing
the pressure to drop. This, combines with the
high pressure over the splitter creates
downforce.

Reduction of forebodydrag:

 The most significant drag reduction can be achieved by rounding up the vertical and
upper horizontal leading edges on the front face.
 Relatively small amendments can result considerable drag reduction.
 The drag reduction of front spoiler is large if its use is combined with rounded leading
edges.

Hood and Windshield Angle of Inclination:

 The hood angle (α) determines the pressure gradient

and plays a role in maintaining attached flow
 The windshield angle, δ (rake) plays a stronger role
by controlling point of attachment of flow to roof

Roofline Shape:

 Curved (cambered) roofline helps maintain

attached flow over the rear of the car

Scoops:

 Engine cooling
 Increases flow rate of air

32
EFFECT OF CUT BACK ANGLE (Back Light Angle Or Rear Wind Shield Angle):

The rear window angle with horizontal is called the “cut back angle” or “back light
angle”.

 The angle of inclination affects the trailing vortex location and strength
 The nature of the counter rotating vortex structure is controlled primarily by the
cut back angle.
 Vortices expend energy gives Drag. So the amount of drag force creation is
controlled by the cut back angle.

The airflow over the rear surfaces of the vehicle is more complex and the solutions
required to minimize drag for practical shapes are less intuitive. The inclination of the screen
may be sufficient to cause the flow to separate from the rear window although in many cases the
separation is followed by flow re-attachment along the boot lid.

33
 The first occurs for ‘squareback’ shapes and is characterized by a large, low pressure
wake. Here the airflow is unable to follow the body surface around the sharp, rear corners. The
drag that is associated with such flows depends upon the cross-sectional area at the tail, the
pressure acting upon the body surface and, to a lesser extent, upon energy that is absorbed by the
creation of eddies.

A very different flow structure arises if the rear surface slopes more gently as is the case
for hatchback, fastback and most notchback shapes . The centreline pressure distribution that the
surface air pressure over the rear of the car is significantly lower than that of the surroundings.
Along the sides of the car the body curvature is much less and the pressures recorded here differ
little from the ambient conditions.

34
 SQUARE BACK HATCH BACK

NOTCH BACK

The low pressure over the upper surface draws the relatively higher pressure air along the
sides of the car upwards and leads to the creation of intense, conical vortices at the ‘C’ pillars.
These vortices increase the likelihood of the upper surface flow remaining attached to the surface
even at backlight angles of over 30 degrees. Air is thus drawn down over the rear of the car
resulting in a reacting force that has components in both the lift and the drag directions. The
backlight angle has been shown to be absolutely critical for vehicles of this type. demonstrates
the change in the drag coefficient of a typical vehicle with changing backlight angle. As the
angle increases from zero (typical squareback) towards 15 degrees there is initially a slight drag
reduction as the effective base area is reduced. Further increase in backlight angle reverses this
trend as the drag inducing influence of the upper surface pressures and trailing vortex creation

35
increase. As 300is approached the drag is observed to increase particularly rapidly as these
0
the drag dramatically drops to a much lower
value.

This sudden drop corresponds to the backlight angle at which the upper surface flow is no
longer able to remain attached around the increasingly sharp top, rear corner and the flow reverts
to a structure more akin to that of the initial squareback. In the light of the reasonably good
aerodynamic performance of the squareback shape it is not surprising that many recent, small
hatchback designs have adopted the square profiles that maximize interior space with little
aerodynamic penalty.

Rear Spoilers:

 Rear spoiler act in a similar way than front, they spoils the airflow tumbling over the rear
edge of the car that causes a recirculation bubbles, this vortex doesn’t allow a good
underfloor flow increasing lift and instability.
 Can be free standing device or “deck strip”
 Causes increase in pressure just forward of the spoiler

Boat-Tailing (Tapering the rear end)

 Tapering of rear part results is reduction of the size of

rear separation bubble and increase of pressure

36
Aerodynamics of Race Car

Front and rear wings:

The main focus in race cars is on the down force and drag. The relationship between drag and
down force is especially important. Aerodynamic improvements in wings are directed at
generating down force on the race car with a minimum of drag. Down force is necessary for
maintaining speed through the corners.

A track with low speed corners requires a car

setup with a high down force package. A high down
force package is necessary to maintain speeds in the
corners. This setup includes large front and rear
wings. The front wings have additional flaps which
are adjustable. The rear wing is made up of more
than one section that maximizes down force.

 The front wing is important because it is

the first part of the car that makes contact
with the air.
 It affects the airflow in the full length of
the car and even tiny changes can have
huge effects on the overall performance.
 Front wing is one of the elements that is
used for down force because it creates
high pressure area on top and hence large
amount of down force.

37
  The rear wing helps glue the rear
wheels to the track, but it also can
hugely increases drag (air residence
against the body of the car).

Barge Boards:

Barge boards, or turning vanes,

smooth out and separate the air that has been
disrupted by the front wheels. They separate
the flow into two parts - one is directed into
the side pods to cool the engine; the other is
diverted outside to reduce drag.

Wheels:

 Open-wheeled race car have a very

complicated aerodynamics due to the
large exposed wheels
 The flow behind wheels is completed
separated

Diffusers:

 The diffusers help to drive the low-pressure

from beneath the car. The most common one
is the upswept duct at the rear and below the
bumper. The other type is located directly
behind the splitter leading into the front
wheel wheels. Aerodynamically, both of
these diffusers achieve the same thing i.e.
minimising pressure under the car.

38
AERODYNAMICS OF TRAIN

Aerodynamic drag of train

The aerodynamic characteristics of train are
quite different from those of airplane. There are
many characteristic features in the aerodynamics of
the high- speed railway train, in the points that the
train length is, in general, very long, compared
with the equivalent diameter of it, the train runs
close to adjacent structures, passes through a
confined tunnel, and intersecting with each other,
the train runs along a fixed railway track, always
interacting with ground, and the train can be
influenced by cross-winds. Thus, the
aerodynamics, which has been applied to airplane,
may not be of help for a detailed understanding of
the HST aerodynamics.

In general, a desirable train system should be aerodynamically stable and have low
aerodynamic forces. These aerodynamic characteristics are closely associated with the
aerodynamic drag of the running train. The aerodynamic drag on the traveling train is largely
divided into mechanical and aerodynamic ones. Of both, the aerodynamic drag can influence the

39
energy consumption of train. Thus, detailed understanding on the aerodynamic drag and its
precise evaluation are of practicalimportance. It has been well known that the aerodynamic drag
is proportional to the square of speed, while the mechanical drag is proportional to the speed.
Compared with the mechanical drag, the portion of the aerodynamic drag becomes larger as the
train speed increases. Thus, reduction of the aerodynamic drag on high-speed railway train is one
of the essential issues for the development of the desirable train system. In the open air without
any cross-wind effects, the total drag on the traveling train can be expressed by a sum of the
aerodynamic and mechanical ones:

Where, DA and D M are the aerodynamic and mechanical drags, respectively,

a,b and c are the constants to be determined by the experiment,
V the train speed and
W the train weight.

In Eq., the mechanical drag, being proportional to the train weight, includes the sliding
drag between rails and train wheels, and the rotating drag of the wheels. The measurement of the
total drag on train and its precise prediction are not straightforward.

Cross-wind effects
The cross-wind effects on the traveling train can closely be associated with the traveling
safety. The cross- winds can be more seriously influence when the train runs over a bridge.
Heavier vehicles could improve the crosswind stability but on the contrary issues like lower
energy consumption demand lighter vehicles, which at the same time would lead to benefits
regarding track deteriorationand track maintenance. Since the aerodynamic forces are
mostcritical on the leading vehicle of a train, the weight change from a locomotive -as the
leading and heaviest vehicle of a loco-train - to a vehicle of a multiple unitincreases the demands
on crosswind stability of trains. In addition, unsteady crosswindlike various gusts is becoming a
major concern.

40
Aerodynamic noise due to train

For the assessment of aerodynamic

noises produced by a traveling train in the open
air, it can be often convenient to classify the
noise sources. In addition to the aerodynamic
noises due to the flows around the traveling
train, there are many different noises which are
caused by train wheels, structures around track, pantograph system, etc. In order to reduce these
noises, it is required to know how extent is each contribution to the noises. In general,
aerodynamic noises are strongly dependent on the train speed U, being approximately
proportional to U6 -U8 : Thus, the noise alleviation is of more practical importance when the train
speed increases.
It can be found that the aerodynamic noises due to the traveling train are largely
generated by the fore-body of the train, the connection part between trains, and the pantograph
system.
The fore-body of a train is one of the noise sources. In usual, there are a lot of roughness
on the fore-body surface. The aerodynamic noises are strongly dependent on the detailed
configuration of the surface roughness and the entire shape of train fore-body as well. These
geometrical configurations are associated with the wind speed along them and separation.

In practice, the pantograph system is composed of many bars with small diameters, which
can play a musical instrument to create the aerodynamic noises. The pantograph system creates a
number of vortices behind it. A pantograph cover can be used to reduce the aerodynamics noises
generated by the pantograph system.

AERODYNAMICS OF HOVERCRAFT

A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion

vehicle or ACV, is a craft capable of travelling over land,
water, mud or ice and other surfaces.

41
 Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air
below the hull that is slightly above atmospheric pressure. The
pressure difference between the higher pressure air below the
hull and lower pressure ambient air above it produces lift, which
causes the hull to float above the running surface. For stability
reasons, the air is typically blown through slots or holes around
the outside of a disk or oval shaped platform, giving most
hovercraft a characteristic rounded-rectangle shape. Typically
this cushion is contained within a flexible "skirt", which allows the vehicle to travel over small
obstructions without damage.

1. Propellers, 2. Air, 3. Fan, 4. Flexible skirt

Aerodynamics:

Hovercraft float on a cushion of air that has been forced under the craft by a fan. This
causes the craft to rise or lift. The amount of lift can range from 6" to 108" (152mm to 2,743mm)
depending on the size of the hovercraft. The amount of total weight that a hovercraft can raise is
equal to cushion pressure multiplied by the area of the hovercraft. To make the craft function
more efficiently, it is necessary to limit the cushion air from escaping, so the air is contained by
the use of what is called a hovercraft skirt. Fashioned from fabric, which allows a deep cushion

42
or clearance of obstacles, hovercraft skirts vary in style ranging from bags to cells (jupes) to
separate fingered sections called segments.

Once "lifted" or "on cushion", thrust must be created to move the hovercraft forward.
With many craft, this is generated by a separate engine from the one used to create the lift, but
with some, the same engine is used for both. As the diagram above indicates, the fan-generated
air stream is split so that part of the air is directed under the hull for lift, while most of it is used
for thrust.

Now that the hovercraft has lift and thrust, it must be steered safely. This is achieved
through the use of a system of rudders behind the fan, controlled by handlebars up front. Steering
can also be controlled by the use of body weight displacement ... a skill which is achieved after
practice.

***************************************

43
44
 SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT – IV- Industrial Aerodynamics – SAE1610

45
 Unit IV

Building Aerodynamics

LOW RISE BUILDINGS

 Low rise building is defined as an enclosed structure less than 50 feet (15 m) in height.
 Usually immersed with in atmospheric boundary layer [Where turbulent intensity is high,
interference and shelter effects are important but different to quantify]
 Non engineered and lack of maintenance
 Wind loads on roof are important
 Internal pressure are important – especially for dominant openings
 Resonant effects are negligible
 Must sustain most damages in severe wind storms

PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION ON LOW RISE BUILDINGS

Majority of the houses that are constructed all over the world are low-rise
buildings.These buildings are constructed in different types of terrain and topography with
various planforms.Measurements of the static pressure on low-rise building models in boundary
layer wind tunnels provide vital information that can be used to design houses which are safer
and more resistant to adverse weather conditions such as cyclones and hurricanes.

46
 The values of static pressure are converted to non-dimensional pressure coefficient, Cp,
which is defined as

Where,
P is the pressure at a given location
P∞ is the free-stream static pressure
U∞ is the free-stream velocity and
ρ is the air density.

The intensity of internal pressure is directly related to the size of dominant openings and their
location with respect to the direction of wind angle of attack.
 Peak positive internal pressure occurs when a dominant opening of the building faces the
incoming wind flow.
 Peak negative internal pressure occurs when a dominant opening of the building are in
parallel to the incoming wind flow.
 Dominant openings resulted in an increase internal pressure. For example, the opening of the
window together with ceiling hatch led to 45% increase on the net wind load on the
windward side of the gable roof and 20 % increase for hip roofs. This reinforces the need for
keeping doors and windows covered with shutters during strong storms.

47
 The point pressure measurements are processed with the help of a contour plotting to obtain
surface contour plots on an entire surface of the building. The average values of Cp are estimated
on all the faces of the gabled roof building models.

Mean pressure coefficients on pitched roofs

5o roof pitch:

No separation at ridge. Higher negative pressures for greater h/d.

12o roof pitch:

Second separation at ridge. Higher negative pressures for greater h/d.

18o roof pitch

Pressure on windward face is less negative at lower h/d

48
30o roof pitch:

Positive pressure on upwind face of roof for lower h/d.

Uniform negative pressure on downwind roof.
45o roof pitch:

High positive pressure on upwind face of roof at all h/d.

Uniform negative pressure on downwind roof.

Fluctuating and peak pressures at corners of roofs

Formation of conical vortices

49
The variation of the minimum pressure coefficient over the roof of different building
models with the roof pitch angle for any wind direction

Looking at the windward and the leeward portions of the roof, the peak suction over the
leeward side is higher compared to that over the windward side with the difference between the
two increasing with an increase in the roof pitch. It is clear from this figure that the worst suction
reduces continuously when the roof pitch is increased. Interesting observations are made for the
45◦ pitch building models. The minimum Cp value is positive for both the gabled and the hip

50
roof models. It is also interesting to note that there is a slight increase in the suction on the
leeward side for the gabled roof compared to the 30◦ case.
Multi-span buildings

Note: Pitches less than 10 degrees are ‘aerodynamically flat’

Saw-tooth roofs - magnitude of negative pressures reduces downwind:

WIND FORCES ON BUILDINGS

Forces are classified as static and dynamic. Static loads are independent from time but
dynamic loads are function of time. Usually, wind loads are dynamic loads. The design of
buildings must account for wind loads, and these are affected by wind shear. For engineering
purposes, a power law wind speed profile may be defined as follows:

Where,
Vz = speed of the wind at height;
Vg = gradient wind at gradient height
α= exponential coefficient

51
500
Zg = Height wind gradient

400

1/7

V Z 1/9.6
Zg Z
V
300
Zg

100

50
10

EXPOSURE B - EXPOSURE C -
FOREST, SUBURB OPEN SOIL

52
Wind load induced oscillation
There are three forms of wind load induced motion as follows:-
a) Galloping - Galloping is transverse oscillations of some structures due to the development of
aerodynamic forces which are in phase with the motion. It is characterized by the progressively
increasing amplitude of transverse vibration with increase of wind speed.
b) Flutter - Flutter is unstable oscillatory motion of a structure due to coupling between
aerodynamic force and elastic deformation of the structure. Perhaps the’ most common form is
oscillatory motion due to combined bending and torsion. Long span suspension bridge decks or
any member of a structure with large values of d/t ( where d is the depth of a structure or
structural member parallel to wind stream and t is the least lateral dimension of a member ) are
prone to low speed flutter.
c) Ovalling:This walled structures with open ends at one or both ends such as oil storage tanks,
and natural draught cooling towers in which the ratio of the diameter of minimum lateral
dimension to the wall thickness is of the order of 100 or more, are prone to ovalling oscillations.
These oscillations are characterized by periodic radial deformation of the hollow structure.

ENVIRONMENTAL WINDS IN CITY BLOCKS

Survey of wind flow in the urban area, especially within tall building in two terms is very
important:
(1) Tall buildings can cause undesirable intensification of wind flow in urban streets and open
spaces (square).
(2) On the other hand also have the ability to avoid wind flow in urban spaces.
In both cases, depending on various conditions, wind flow or wind stagnation could be
favorable or not favorable. So in the polluted urban environments, increased air flow to prevent
stagnation and accumulation of the pollution is very useful while for pedestrian and visitors in
open space are undesirable and uncomfortable. Generally buildings depending on how their
exposure to wind flow, create dual effects including wind flow is increased or recession. Flow
rate set points with a recession in the wind and the tall buildings can deal with the accumulation
of air pollution on residents to stop. Also, despite these points can reduce the adverse
environmental wind flow can be exploited. If the distance between buildings is appropriate, the

53
aerodynamic areas of each building to act individually and not interfere of wind flow in these
areas, the impact of tall building on wind flow reaches minimum level. But if the distance
between buildings is not appropriate the aerodynamic take effect, whatever set is denser and
more compact, the behaviors of wind flow and the impact on the speed are required more
complex analysis and apparent negative occurs.

Tall buildings effect on the air flow and pollution parameters is not distributed
consequently the air pollution in cites are increasing. In addition to obstruction of visibility and
confined spaces and also play a key role in changing winds direction. But regarding population
growth of cities and land shortages and high prices make them inevitable. Other advantages of
the towers can save energy and prevent pollution increases. Therefore, the appropriate principles
and standards in height, properly locate them, the scale tall buildings, technical rules in making
them, Immunization, Landscaping and creating green space around the towers, how exposure to
towers for wind flow, appropriate distance to the other buildings, how to design them in terms of
urban landscape must be considered to reduce the negative effects of tall buildings. In order to
remove or reduce the environmental impact, create green spaces in floors and roofs of buildings
are helpful to reduce environmental problems which is named environmentally friendly buildings
and green architecture.

Today, tall building is a phenomenon that the world particularly large cities are facing.
The tall buildings in order to exploit the land with having the negative affects in the environment
create new problems including increasing congestion population, environmental pollution,
reduce citizen access to fresh air and sunlight. However, regarding to population increasing and
land shortage, tall buildings could not be avoided. This paper investigates the relationship of tall
buildings with urban air pollution as well as the possible reducing of negative affects of tall
building on environmental pollution with respect to geographical position, technical rules,
immunization, green space, direct of wind, appropriate distance to other buildings, design in
terms of visibility and landscape and urban appearance were reviewed. The study showed that
the tall buildings cause increasing the air pollution in large urban area due to changing in wind
and its direction and also congestion of tall buildings as a pollution sources. Therefore some
techniques to design the tall building must be considered to reduce the negative affects of the tall

54
buildings on environmental pollution. Unfortunately the lack of the construction roles in term of
environmental protection and also control of the rules in construction process causing the
environmental pollution particularly air pollution. It is suggested that the re-evaluate of the rules
with restricted control can improve the air quality in the large cities and also utilization of green
spaces in floors and roofs of buildings as environmentally friendly buildings which are attempt to
reduce environmental problems.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF TALL BUILDINGS

Wind is a phenomenon of great complexity because of
the many flow situations arising from the interaction of wind
with structures. Wind is composed of a multitude of eddies of
varying sizes and rotational characteristics carried along in a
general stream of air moving relative to the earth’s surface.
These eddies give wind its gusty or turbulent character. The
gustiness of strong winds in the lower levels of the atmosphere
largely arises from interaction with surface features. The average
wind speed over a time period of the order of ten minutes or more, tends to increase with height,
while the gustiness tends to decrease with height. The wind vector at a point may be regarded as
the sum of the mean wind vector (static component) and a dynamic, or turbulence, component

A consequence of turbulence is that dynamic loading on a structure depends on the size

of eddies. Large eddies, whose dimensions are comparable with the structure, give rise to well
correlated pressures as they envelop the structure. On the other hand, small eddies result in
pressures on various parts of a structure that become practically uncorrelated with distance of
separation. Eddies generated around a typical structure are shown in Fig.

55
 Some structures, particularly those that are tall or slender, respond dynamically to the
effects of wind. The best known structural collapse due to wind was the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
which occurred in 1940 at a wind speed of only about 19 m/s. It failed after it had developed a
coupled torsional and flexural mode of oscillation. There are several different phenomena
giving rise to dynamic response of structures in wind. These include buffeting, vortex shedding,
galloping and flutter. Slender structures are likely to be sensitive to dynamic response in line
with the wind direction as a consequence of turbulence buffeting. Transverse or cross-wind
response is more likely to arise from vortex shedding or galloping but may also result from
excitation by turbulence buffeting. Flutter is a coupled motion, often being a combination of
bending and torsion, and can result in instability. For building structures flutter and galloping
are generally not an issue. An important problem associated with wind- induced motion of
buildings is concerned with human response to vibration and perception of motion. At this point
it will suffice to note that humans are surprisingly sensitive to vibration to the extent that motions
may feel uncomfortable even if they correspond to relatively low levels of stress and strain.
Therefore, for most tall buildings serviceability considerations govern the design and not
strength issues.

Vortex Shedding: The most common source of crosswind excitation is that associated with
‘vortex shedding’. Tall buildings are bluff (as opposed to streamlined) bodies that cause the flow
to separate from the surface of the structure, rather than follow the body contour. For a
particular structure, the shed vortices have a dominant periodicity that is defined by the Strouhal
number. Hence, the structure is subjected to a periodic cross pressure loading, which results in an
alternating crosswind force. If the natural frequency of the structure coincides with the shedding

56
frequency of the vortices, large amplitude displacement response may occur and this is often
referred to as the critical velocity effect. The asymmetric pressure distribution, created by the
vortices around the cross section, results in an alternating transverse force as these vortices are
shed. If the structure is flexible, oscillation will occur transverse to the wind and the conditions
for resonance would exist if the vortex shedding frequency coincides with the natural frequency
of the structure. This situation can give rise to very large oscillations and possibly failure.

Shedding frequency N is given by

Where,
S = Strouhal number
U = wind speed
b = building width

Pressure coefficients on high- rise buildings

BUILDING CODES

 Building codes are set of rules and regulation, provisions that must be observed in the design,
construction and maintenance of buildings.
 Purpose is to ensure that in a disaster:
o Lives are protected.
o Physical damage is limited.

57
 o Structures critical to human welfare remain operational.
 Embody accumulated knowledge of leading scientists, engineers and building construction
experts that will produce structures that are ‘Fit for purpose’.
 Provide the first line of defence against damage from natural hazards and help ensure public
safety.
 Must be updated regularly to include new technological developments as well as new
information after a disaster.
o New Florida code after hurricane Andrew would have saved 60% of damage if
available prior.
o Buildings use 40% of a country's energy, so retrofitting older buildings for safety and
energy use is critical.
 Building codes are generally intended to be applied by architects and engineers although this
is not the case in the UK where Building Control Surveyors act as verifiers both in the public
and private sector (Approved Inspectors), but are also used for various purposes by safety
inspectors, environmental scientists, real estate developers, contractors and subcontractors,
manufacturers of building products and materials, insurance companies, facility managers,
tenants, and others.
 There are often additional codes or sections of the same building code that have more
specific requirements that apply to dwellings and special construction objects such as
canopies, signs, pedestrian walkways, parking lots, and radio and television antennas.

Importance of Building Codes

 Building codes save lives

 Building codes protect your investment
 Building codes save on insurance
 Building codes increase disaster resilience
 Building codes enhances building stock

58
BUILDING VENTILATION AERODYNAMICS

Ventilating is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor
air quality (i.e. to control temperature, replenish oxygen, or remove moisture, odors, smoke, heat,
dust, airborne bacteria, and carbon dioxide). Ventilation is used to remove unpleasant smells and
excessive moisture, introduce outside air, to keep interior building air circulating, and to prevent
stagnation of the interior air.
Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air within
the building. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality
in buildings. Methods for ventilating a building may be divided into mechanical/forced and
natural types.
"Mechanical" or "forced" ventilation is used to control indoor air quality. Excess
humidity, odors, and contaminants can often be controlled via dilution or replacement with
outside air. However, in humid climates much energy is required to remove excess moisture
from ventilation air.
Natural ventilation is the ventilation of a building with outside air without the use of a fan
or other mechanical system. It can be achieved with openable windows or trickle vents when the
spaces to ventilate are small and the architecture permits. In more complex systems warm air in
the building can be allowed to rise and flow out upper openings to the outside (stack effect) thus
forcing cool outside air to be drawn into the building naturally through openings in the lower
areas. These systems use very little energy but care must be taken to ensure the occupants'
comfort. In warm or humid months, in many climates, maintaining thermal comfort solely via
natural ventilation may not be possible so conventional air conditioning systems are used as
backups. Air-side economizers perform the same function as natural ventilation, but use
mechanical systems' fans, ducts, dampers, and control systems to introduce and distribute cool
outdoor air when appropriate.

59
BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL AERODYNAMICS

Architectural aerodynamics gains importance with the effect of rain, snow and fire and
their impact on design of buildings and their impact on usage.
In the absence of wind, rain and snow fall vertically downwards. The effect of wind is to
give the rain drops and snowflakes a horizontal component of velocity.
There are three consequences of this horizontal movement. The first is on the building
where the rain can now impinge on non-horizontal surfaces and so cause staining, or allow
mosses and lichens to grow, or can cause damp to penetrate the walls to the detriment of its
inhabitants. The second effect is on the comfort of people because the rain can penetrate beneath
canopies and other protective devices. The third is a combination of building and people: in the
past the materials of which buildings were made could absorb water, and during a storm, the
surface of a large building would absorb tons of water, water which would be evaporated by the
wind once the rain had stopped. Canopies are placed over entrance doors to provide local shelter
from the rain to people entering or leaving.

60
 The basic approach for the containment of fire in a building, as far as the wind engineer is
concerned, is that there shall be an internal volume at roof level, called a smoke reservoir, where
the smoke from a fire can collect prior to being removed from the building. There are also
considerations for false ceilings and escape routes.
The areas of openings in a fire situation should be sufficient to vent the smoke when there
is no wind. This specifies the area of the openings which must work under buoyancy forces
alone. The purpose of the wind engineer is to ensure that, under no circumstances, shall the wind
inhibit this state of affairs.
Studies of fire situations are very similar to those for Ventilation with the exception that
external flow is never allowed into smoke reservoirs. It is no good claiming that, on average,
more air leaves a reservoir than enters it, because the air entering is cold, and when it mixes with
the smoke, it will reduce the temperature of the smoke and cause it to lose its buoyancy, causing
secondary flows which might bring the smoke into contact with people.

Tower and dome architecture:

Due to the structural efficiency and economic benefit, the hemispherical dome is a
common structural geometry shape for large span sports stadium or for storage purposes. The
curve shape makes the accurate estimation of the wind pressure fluctuations on a hemispherical
dome a difficult task due to the Reynolds number effects. In the past years, there have been
reports of collapse of curve shaped storage domes during strong wind. The wind induced
structural failure could be attributed to inadequate wind resistant design and/or poor quality
construction
Additional complexity arises for curved bodies
(e.g. hemisphere and cylinders) because the location of a
separation point cannot be identified purely based on the
geometry. This leads to a strong dependency on
Reynolds number, boundary layer thickness and the
turbulence intensity level of the approaching flow. A
reduction in the maximum pressure coefficient is occurred because the rough surface promotes

61
the turbulent boundary layer over the dome and causes earlier separation over the dome.
Consequently, the earlier separation over the dome reduced suction at the separation point, but
led to more suction overall in the wake and increased drag.

**********************************

62
63
 SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT – V- Industrial Aerodynamics – SAE1610

64
 Unit V
Flow Induced Vibrations

EFFECT OF REYNOLDS NUMBER ON WAKE FORMATION OF BLUFF SHAPES

A body moving through a fluid

experiences a drag force, which is usually
divided into two components: frictional
drag, and pressure drag. Frictional drag
comes from friction between the fluid and
the surfaces over which it is flowing. This
friction is associated with the
development of boundary layers, and it
scales with Reynolds number as we have
seen above. Pressure drag comes from the
eddying motions that are set up in the
fluid by the passage of the body. This
drag is associated with the formation of a
wake, which can be readily seen behind a
passing boat, and it is usually less
sensitive to Reynolds number than the frictional drag. Formally, both types of drag are due to
viscosity (if the body was moving through an aninviscid fluid there would be no drag at all), but
the distinction is useful because the two types of drag are due to different flow phenomena.
Frictional drag is important for attached flows (that is, there is no separation), and it is related to
the surface area exposed to the flow. Pressure drag is important for separated flows, and it is
related to the cross-sectional area of the body.

We can see the role played by friction drag (sometimes called viscous drag) and pressure
drag (sometimes called form drag or profile drag) by considering an airfoil at different angles of
attack. At small angles of attack, the boundary layers on the top and bottom surface experience
only mild pressure gradients, and they remain attached along almost the entire chord length. The

65
wake is very small, and the drag is dominated by the viscous friction inside the boundary layers.
However, as the angle of attack increases, the pressure gradients on the airfoil increase in
magnitude. In particular, the adverse pressure gradient on the top rear portion of the airfoil may
become sufficiently strong to produce a separated flow. This separation will increase the size of
the wake, and the pressure losses in the wake due to eddy formation Therefore the pressure drag
increases. At a higher angle of attack, a large fraction of the flow over the top surface of the
airfoil may be separated, and the airfoil is said to be stalled. At this stage, the pressure drag is
much greater than the viscous drag.

When the drag is dominated by

viscous drag, we say the body is
streamlined, and when it is dominated by
pressure drag, we say the body is bluff.
Whether the flow is viscous-drag dominated
or pressure-drag dominated depends entirely
on the shape of the body. A streamlined
body looks like a fish, or an airfoil at small
angles of attack, whereas a bluff body looks
like a brick, a cylinder, or an airfoil at large
angles of attack. For streamlined bodies, frictional drag is the dominant source of air resistance.
For a bluff body, the dominant source of drag is pressure drag. For a given frontal area and
velocity, a streamlined body will always have a lower resistance than a bluff body. For example,
the drag of a cylinder of diameter D can be ten times larger than a streamlined shape with the
same thickness (see figure).

Cylinders and spheres are considered bluff bodies because at large Reynolds numbers the
drag is dominated by the pressure losses in the wake. The variation of the drag coefficient with
Reynolds number is shown in figure, and the corresponding flow patterns are shown in figure.
We see that as the Reynolds number increases the variation in the drag coefficient (based on
cross-sectional area) decreases, and over a large range in Reynolds number it is nearly constant.

66
(a) Drag coefficient as a function of Reynolds number for smooth circular cylinders and
smooth spheres
(b) Flow patterns for flow over a cylinder: (A) Reynolds number = 0.2; (B) 12; (C) 120; (D)
30,000; (E) 500,000. Patterns correspond to the points marked on figure 2.

At a Reynolds number between 10^5 and 10^6, the drag coefficient takes a sudden dip.
The size of the wake decreases, indicating that the boundary layer separation on the cylinder or
sphere occurs further along the surface than before. What has happened? The phenomenon is
related to the differences between laminar and turbulent boundary layer. The boundary layer and
its interaction with the local pressure gradient plays a major role in affecting the flow over a
cylinder. In particular, near the shoulder, the pressure gradient changes from being negative
(decreasing pressure) to positive (increasing pressure). The force due to pressure differences
changes sign from being an accelerating force to being a retarding force. In response, the flow
slows down. However, the fluid in the boundary layer has already given up some momentum
because of viscous losses and viscous friction, and it does not have enough momentum to
overcome the retarding force. Some fluid near the wall actually reverses direction, and the flow
separates.

67
VORTEX INDUCED VIBRATIONS
Vortices:
A vortex is defined as the motion ofmultitude of fluid particles around acommon center.
Types of vortices:
- Forced Vortex
- Free Vortex
Vortices in the Real World:
 Vortices in the real world like Tornados, Whirlpool in rivers are often a combination of
free and forced vortices.
 Forced vortex flow occurs at and near the center of the vortex while free vortex
conditions are approximated outside this region.
Flow-Induced Vibration:
 The vibration caused by a fluid flowing around a body is known as flow-induced
vibration.
 In the following examples, the vibration of the system continuously extracts energy from
the source, leading to larger and larger amplitudes of vibration.
Phenomena of Induced Vibration:
- Tall chimneys, Submarine periscopes, Electric transmission lines and nuclear fuel rods
are found to vibrate violently under certain conditions of fluid flow around them.
- Similarly, water and oil pipe lines and tubes in air compressors undergo sever vibrations
under certain conditions of fluid flow through them.
- In ice-covered electric transmission lines and the unstable vibration, known as flutter, of
air foil sections.
- High frequency vibration known as singing of transmission lines occurs due to the
phenomena of vortex shedding.
Why Vortex Shedding Phenomena:
 Vortex shedding was the primary cause of failure of the Tacoma Narrows suspension
bridge in the state of Washington in 1940.
 If the frequency of the vortex shedding is in resonance with the natural frequency of the
member that produces it, large amplitudes of vibrations with resulting large stresses can
develop.

68
  Experimental data show that regular vortex shedding occurs strongly in the range of
Reynolds number (Re) from about 60 to 5000.
 Experiments shows also that the frequency of shedding is given in terms of Strouhal
number (St), and this in turn is a function of the Reynolds number.
 Other cylindrical and two dimensional bodies can also shed vortices.

Vortex shedding dictated by the Strouhal number

Where,
fs is the shedding frequency,
d is diameter and
U inflow speed

Additional VIV Parameters (Non-dimensional parameters)

 Reynolds Number
UD inertialeffects
Re  
v viscous effects
 Reduced Velocity

U
V 
rn
fn D

 Dimensional Amplitude

 Vortex Shedding Frequency

69
 Mach Number

 Froude Number

 Mass ratio

 Damping factor

 Reduced damping

 Fineness ratio

70
Lock-in

A cylinder is said to be “locked in” when the frequency of oscillation is equal to the
frequency of vortex shedding. In this region the largest amplitude oscillations occur.

Types of in-stabilities:

Name Conditions Type of motion Type of section

Galloping H1>0 translational Square section
‘Stall’ flutter A2>0 rotational Rectangle, H-
section
‘Classical’ flutter H2>0, A1>0 coupled Flat plate, airfoil

Aerodynamic damping (along wind)

Consider a body moving with velocity in a flow of speed U

Relative velocity of air with respect to body = U  x

Drag force (per unit length) =

1 1 2x
D  C ρ b(U  x)  C ρ bU (1 )
2 2
D
2 a D
2 a U
1
 C D ρ a bU  C Dρa bUx
2
2
for small x/U

Transfer to left hand side of equation of motion: mx cx kx  D(t)

Total damping term:

cx CDρ a bUx

Along-wind aerodynamic damping is positive

71
Galloping

 Galloping is a result of a wake instability.

 Galloping is a form of aerodynamic instability caused by negative aerodynamic damping
in the cross wind direction

Motion of body in z direction will generate an apparent reduction in angle of attack, 

From vector diagram: Δα  z/U

Aerodynamic force per unit length in z direction (body axes):

72
Cross sections prone to galloping:
 Square section (zero angle of attack)
 D-shaped cross section
 Iced-up transmission line or guy cable
 Flexible Cylinders
Galloping vs. VIV

• Galloping is low frequency

• Galloping is NOT self-limiting
• Once U >Ucriticalthen the instability occurs ir-regardless of frequencies.

73
Conductor galloping/ transmission lines galloping

Main phenomena related to wind effects on cables/ropes vibration

 Vortex shedding: alternate formation of

vortices in the downstream wake of the cable.
 Vibration due to turbulent wind (buffeting):
mainly related to forcing effects due to
variation of wind speed both in module and
direction.

74
  Aero-elastic instability (galloping): irregular shape, due to ice deposits (ice galloping),
can lead to modification of cable profile, and unstable oscillations can occur.
 Wake induced vibrations(bundle galloping): typical for cables fitted in bundles (grouped
in 2, 3, 4, or more formation), as occurs in electrical power transmission lines

Considering a cable or a rope, different natural frequencies exist. In the case of sag much less
than the span length, are according to the formula:

Vibration modes of a taut cable

Vibrationscan be easily controlled by can be easily controlled by adding damping to the

cable, in the form of adding damping to the cable, in the form of dampers and spacer dampers
and spacer- -dampers. This is feasible for dampers. This is feasible for electric power
transmission lines.

75
FLUTTER

Flutter is a dangerous phenomenon encountered in flexible structures subjected to

aerodynamic forces. This includes aircraft, buildings, telegraph wires, stop signs, and bridges.
Flutter occurs as a result of interactions between aerodynamics, stiffness, and inertial forces on a
structure. In an aircraft, as the speed of the wind increases, there may be a point at which the
structural damping is insufficient to damp out the motions which are increasing due to
aerodynamic energy being added to the structure. This vibration can cause structural failure and
therefore considering flutter characteristics is an essential part of designing an aircraft.

76
Flutter Motion

The basic type of flutter of aircraft wing is described here. Flutter may be initiated by a
rotation of the airfoil (see t=0 in Figure 1). As the increased force causes the airfoil to rise, the
torsional stiffness of the structure returns the airfoil to zero rotation (t=T/4 in Figure 1). The
bending stiffness of the structure tries to return the airfoil to the neutral position, but now the
airfoil rotates in a nose-down position (t=T/2 in Figure 1). Again the increased force causes the
airfoil to plunge and the torsional stiffness returns the airfoil to zero rotation (t=3T/4). The cycle
is completed when the airfoil returns to the neutral position with a nose-up rotation. Notice that
the maximum rotation leads the maximum rise or plunge by 90 degrees (T/4). As time increases,
the plunge motion tends to damp out, but the rotation motion diverges. If the motion is allowed
to continue, the forces due to the rotation will cause the structure to fail.

This flutter is caused by the coalescence of two structural modes – pitch and plunge (or
wing-bending) motion. This example wing has two basic degrees of freedom or natural modes
of vibration: pitch and plunge (bending). The pitch mode is rotational and the bending mode is
a vertical up and down motion at the wing tip. As the airfoil flies at increasing speed, the

77
frequencies of these modes coalesce or come together to create one mode at the flutter frequency
and flutter condition. This is the flutter resonance.

Types of Flutter

Airfoils are used in many places on an airplane. The most obvious is the wing, but airfoil
shapes are also used in the tail, propellers and control surfaces such as ailerons, rudders and
stabilizers. All of these conditions must be analyzed and tested to insure that flutter does not
occur.

There is other flutter behavior that must be considered when designing aircraft: panel
flutter, galloping flutter, stall flutter, limit cycle oscillations (LCO) or buzz, and propeller or
engine whirl flutter. There can also be flutter due to stores mounted on the wing.

Panel flutter can occur when a surface is not adequately supported (think of the skin of
an airplane acting like a drumhead). Figure 3 illustrates panel flutter motion.

Galloping flutter, or wake vortex flutter, was the cause of failure of the Tacoma
Narrows Bridge. This phenomenon can be observed frequently along the roadside when
telephone and power lines “gallop” due to strong winds. You may also observe car radio
antenna aerials whipping under certain driving speeds. The cause of the galloping motion is
formation of wake vortices downstream of the object. As shown in Figure 4, the vortices are
shed alternately from one side of the object and then the other. These cause oscillatory forces
and produce the back-and-forth motion. This type of flutter is an important design consideration
for launch vehicles exposed to ground winds.

78
 Stall flutter is a torsional mode of flutter that occurs on wings at high loading conditions
near the stall speed. Because the airflow separates during stall, this single degree-of- freedom
flutter cannot be explained by classical flutter theory.

Limit cycle oscillation (LCO) behavior is characterized by constant amplitude, periodic

structural response at frequencies that are those of the aeroelastically-loaded structure. LCO is
typically limited to a narrow region in Mach number or angle-of-attack signaling the onset of
flow separation.

Engine whirl flutter is a precession-type instability that can occur on a flexibly mounted
engine-propeller combination. The phenomenon involves a complex interaction of engine mount
stiffness, gyroscopic torques of the engine and propeller combination, and the natural flutter
frequency of the wing structure.

Prevention of galloping and flutter

This can be accomplished by following

 Stable aerodynamic contours

 Stiffness or mass
 Damping

*************************

79
80