• Wind and Structures
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2019

Internal ring beams are primary components of new ring-stiffened cooling towers. In this study, numerical simulation of the internal flow field of a cooling tower with three ring beams under wind-thermal coupling effect is performed. The studied cooling tower is a 220-m super-large hyperbolic indirect natural draft cooling tower that is under construction in China and will be the World's highest cooling tower, the influence of peripheral radiators in operating cooling tower is also considered. Based on the simulation, the three-dimensional effect and distribution pattern of the wind loads on inner surface of the cooling tower is summarized, the average wind pressure distributions on the inner surface before and after the addition of the ring beams are analyzed, and the influence pattern of ring beams on the internal pressure coefficient value is derived. The action mechanisms behind the air flows inside the tower are compared. In addition, the effects of internal ring beams on temperature field characteristics, turbulence kinetic energy distribution, and wind resistance are analyzed. Finally, the internal pressure coefficients are suggested for ring-stiffened cooling towers under wind-thermal coupling effect. The study shows that the influence of internal stiffening ring beams on the internal pressure and flow of cooling towers should not be ignored, and the wind-thermal coupling effect should also be considered in the numerical simulation of cooling tower flow fields. The primary conclusions presented in this paper offer references for determining the internal suction of such ring-stiffened cooling towers.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.70 no.4
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• pp.479-497
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• 2019

In the current code design, the use of a uniform internal pressure coefficient of cooling towers as internal suction cannot reflect the 3D characteristics of flow field inside the tower body with different ventilation rate of shutters. Moreover, extreme weather such as heavy rain also has a direct impact on aerodynamic force on the internal surface and changes the turbulence effect of pulsating wind. In this study, the world's tallest cooling tower under construction, which stands 210m, is taken as the research object. The algorithm for two-way coupling between wind and rain is adopted. Simulation of wind field and raindrops is performed iteratively using continuous phase and discrete phase models, respectively, under the general principles of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Firstly, the rule of influence of 9 combinations of wind speed and rainfall intensity on the volume of wind-driven rain, additional action force of raindrops and equivalent internal pressure coefficient of the tower body is analyzed. The combination of wind velocity and rainfall intensity that is most unfavorable to the cooling tower in terms of distribution of internal pressure coefficient is identified. On this basis, the wind/rain loads, distribution of aerodynamic force and working mechanism of internal pressures of the cooling tower under the most unfavorable working condition are compared between the four ventilation rates of shutters (0%, 15%, 30% and 100%). The results show that the amount of raindrops captured by the internal surface of the tower decreases as the wind velocity increases, and increases along with the rainfall intensity and ventilation rate of the shutters. The maximum value of rain-induced pressure coefficient is 0.013. The research findings lay the basis for determining the precise values of internal surface loads of cooling tower under extreme weather conditions.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.235-246
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• 2019

Wind loading is one of important loadings that should be considered in the design of large hyperbolic natural-draught cooling towers. Both external and internal surfaces of cooling tower are under the action of wind loading for cooling circulating water. In the previous studies, the wind loads on the external surface attracted concernedly attention, while the study on the internal surface was relatively ware. In the present study, the wind pressure on the internal surface of a 220 m high cooling tower is measured through wind tunnel testing, and the effect of ventilation rate of the packing layer on internal pressure is a major concern. The characteristics of internal wind pressure distribution and its effect on wind-induced responses calculated by finite element method are investigated. The results indicate that the wind loading on internal surface of the cooling tower behaves remarkable three-dimensional effect, and the pressure coefficient varies along both of height and circumferential directions. The non-uniformity is particularly strong during the construction stage. Analysis results of the effect of internal pressure on wind-induced responses show that the size and distribution characteristics of internal pressure will have some influence on wind-induced response, however, the outer pressure plays a dominant role in the wind-induced response of cooling tower, and the contribution of internal pressure to the response is small.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.11-27
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• 2018

The straight-cone steel cooling tower is a novel type of structure, which has a distinct aerodynamic distribution on the internal surface of the tower cylinder compared with conventional hyperbolic concrete cooling towers. Especially in the extreme weather conditions of strong wind and heavy rain, heavy rain also has a direct impact on aerodynamic force on the internal surface and changes the turbulence effect of pulsating wind, but existing studies mainly focus on the impact effect brought by wind-driven rain to structure surface. In addition, for the indirect air cooled cooling tower, different additional ventilation rate of shutters produces a considerable interference to air movement inside the tower and also to the action mechanism of loads. To solve the problem, a straight-cone steel cooling towerstanding 189 m high and currently being constructed is taken as the research object in this study. The algorithm for two-way coupling between wind and rain is adopted. Simulation of wind field and raindrops is performed with continuous phase and discrete phase models, respectively, under the general principles of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Firstly, the rule of influence of 9 combinations of wind sped and rainfall intensity on flow field mechanism, the volume of wind-driven rain, additional action force of raindrops and equivalent internal pressure coefficient of the tower cylinder is analyzed. On this basis, the internal pressures of the cooling tower under the most unfavorable working condition are compared between four ventilation rates of shutters (0%, 15%, 30% and 100%). The results show that the 3D effect of equivalent internal pressure coefficient is the most significant when considering two-way coupling between wind and rain. Additional load imposed by raindrops on the internal surface of the tower accounts for an extremely small proportion of total wind load, the maximum being only 0.245%. This occurs under the combination of 20 m/s wind velocity and 200 mm/h rainfall intensity. Ventilation rate of shutters not only changes the air movement inside the tower, but also affects the accumulated amount and distribution of raindrops on the internal surface.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.433-457
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• 2017

As a novel typical wind-sensitive structure, the wind load and wind-induced structural behaviors of super-large straight-cone cooling towers are in an urgent need to be addressed and studied. A super large straight-cone steel cooling tower (189 m high, the highest in Asia) that is under construction in Shanxi Power Plant in China was taken as an example, for which four finite element models corresponding to four structural types: the main drum; main drum + stiffening rings; main drum + stiffening rings + auxiliary rings (auxiliary rings are hinged with the main drum and the ground respectively); and main drum + stiffening rings + auxiliary rings (auxiliary rings are fixed onto the main drum and the ground respectively), were established to compare and analyze the dynamic properties and force transferring paths of different models. After that, CFD method was used to conduct numerical simulation of flow field and mean wind load around the cooling tower. Through field measurements and wind tunnel tests at home and abroad, the reliability of using CFD method for numerical simulation was confirmed. On the basis of this, the surface flow and trail characteristics of the tower at different heights were derived and the wind pressure distribution curves for the internal and external surfaces at different heights of the tower were studied. Finally, based on the calculation results of wind-induced responses of the four models, the effects of stiffening rings, auxiliary rings, and different connecting modes on the dynamic properties and wind-induced responses of the tower structure were derived and analyzed; meanwhile, the effect mechanism of internal suction on such kind of cooling tower was discussed. The study results could provide references to the structure selection and wind resistance design of such type of steel cooling towers.

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.15-19
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• 2004

A new tower internal, which is called CSE, is presented. The CSE is composed of a nozzle perforated in its bottom along the entire periphery and equipped with a multi vane axial swirler at the inlet and hollow cylindrical separator at the outlet of the nozzle. According to the experimental work for obtaining the necessary hydraulic information of the CSE, which is used for preliminary design of a separation column, the CSE showed a stable operation over the wide rage of gas/liquid ratio. However, it caused large pressure drop due to the high gas velocity which should carry liquid droplets through the element. The high pressure drop may cause problems in energy recovery and the application of the CSE can be limited to the high pressure columns. Assuming that the tray efficiency of the CSE is the same with the existing separation columns, the results of the column design showed the size reduction of the column diameters by 30 to $40\%$ and investment cost saving, depending on operating conditions. The application of the CSE to separation column may also contribute to the de-bottlenecking the existing column.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.257-273
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• 2010

The aerodynamic and aero-elastic model tests of the China''s highest cooling tower has been carried out in the TJ-3 Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel of Tongji University. By adopting a scanivalve system, the external wind pressure is firstly measured on $12{\times}36$ taps for a single tower, two and four grouped towers under the condition of both smooth flow and the boundary layer due to surrounding geographic and building topography. The measurements of internal wind pressure distribution of $6{\times}36$ taps are taken for a single tower under the various ventilation ratios ranging from 0% to 100% of stuffing layers located at the bottom of the tower. In the last stage, the wind tunnel tests with an aero-elastic model are carefully conducted to determine wind-induced displacements at six levels (each with eight points) with laser displacement sensors. According to the measurement results of wind pressure or vibration response, the extreme aerodynamic loading values of the single or grouped towers are accordingly analyzed based on probability correlation technique.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.273-283
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• 2018

Currently, the dynamic amplification effect of suction is described using the wind vibration coefficient (WVC) of external loads. In other words, it is proposed that the fluctuating characteristics of suction are equivalent to external loads. This is, however, not generally valid. Meanwhile, the effects of the ventilation rate of louver on suction and its WV are considered. To systematically analyze the effects of the ventilation rate of louver on the multi-dimensional WVC of ultra-large cooling towers under suctions, the 210 m ultra-large cooling tower under construction was studied. First, simultaneous rigid pressure measurement wind tunnel tests were executed to obtain the time history of fluctuating wind loads on the external surface and the internal surface of the cooling tower at different ventilation rates (0%, 15%, 30%, and 100%). Based on that, the average values and distributions of fluctuating wind pressures on external and internal surfaces were obtained and compared with each other; a tower/pillar/circular foundation integrated simulation model was developed using the finite element method and complete transient time domain dynamics of external loads and four different suctions of this cooling tower were calculated. Moreover, 1D, 2D, and 3D distributions of WVCs under external loads and suctions at different ventilation rates were obtained and compared with each other. The WVCs of the cooling tower corresponding to four typical response targets (i.e., radial displacement, meridional force, Von Mises stress, and circumferential bending moment) were discussed. Value determination and 2D evaluation of the WVCs of external loads and suctions of this large cooling tower at different ventilation rates were proposed. This study provides references to precise prediction and value determination of WVC of ultra-large cooling towers.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.249-268
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• 2007

Past experience indicates that the majority of failures of electrical transmission tower structures occurred during high intensity wind events, such as downbursts. The wind load distribution associated with these localized events is different than the boundary layer wind profile that is typically used in the design of structures. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study represents the first comprehensive investigation that assesses the effect of varying the downburst parameters on the structural performance of a transmission line structure. The study focuses on a guyed tower structure and is conducted numerically using, as a case study, one of the towers that failed in Manitoba, Canada, during a downburst event in 1996. The study provides an insight about the spatial and time variation of the downburst wind field. It also assesses the variation of the tower members' internal forces with the downburst parameters. Finally, the structural behaviour of the tower under critical downburst configurations is described and is compared to that resulting from the boundary layer normal wind load conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1489-1495
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• 2012

In this study, we perform the structural analysis of a floating offshore wind turbine tower by considering the dynamic response of the floating platform. A multibody system consisting of three blades, a hub, a nacelle, the platform, and the tower is used to model the floating wind turbine. The blades and the tower are modeled as flexible bodies using three-dimensional beam elements. The aerodynamic force on the blades is calculated by the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) theory with hub rotation. The hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, and mooring forces are considered for the platform. The structural dynamic responses of the tower are simulated by numerically solving the equations of motion. From the simulation results, the time history of the internal forces at the nodes, such as the bending moment and stress, are obtained. In conclusion, the internal forces are compared with those obtained from static analysis to assess the effects of wave loads on the structural stability of the tower.