Numerical and Wind-Tunnel
Simulation of Wind Loads on
Smooth and Rough Domes
R.N. Meroney
C.W. Letchford
P.P. Sarkar
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Powerpoint Presentations!
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Structural Domes
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Domes are commonly used to enclose
large spaces because of their structural
efficiency and economic benefit.
Domes are excellent at resisting
symmetric loading, but
Asymmetric loading may cause
structural distress and failure.
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Domed Sports Halls & Stadiums
Pepsi Center, Denver
Hubert H. Humphrey
Metro-Dome, Min
Little Sports Palace, Rome
Houston
Astrodome
Sun Dome, Fukui, Japan
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Assembly Hall Dome
Assembly Hall, U. of
Illinois Urbana/Champ
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Domed Public
Buildings
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Museums and Halls,
Barlow Planetarium, CA
^ Public Exhibition Halls
Millennium Dome, London,
320 m diameter, 80,000 sq m
floor space
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Inflated Domes
US Pavilion, Osaka
Exposition 1970
Georgia Dome, Atlanta
RCA (Hoosier) Dome
Indianapolis, IN
Carrier Stadium,
Syracuse University
Silverdome, Pontiac, MI
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Inflated Domes (contd)
Tokyo Dome
“Big Egg” Stadium,
Tokyo, Japan
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Bulk Storage: Dust Supression, Water
and Wastewater Treatment Covers
Temcor Aluminum Domes
Triangulated space truss system with
triangulated panels
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Bulk Storage: Coke Piles
Pittsburgh, CA Marine Terminal Coke Storage Domes
Three 55 m (180 ft) diameter hemispheres
Los Angeles, CA Export Terminal Coke Storage Domes Construction
Two 73 m (240 ft) diameter hemispheres, Shotcrete applied to interior
of inflated airform mounted on footer and stem wall
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Rough Surface Hemispheres
Sometimes construction technique leaves surface texture rough!
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WIND RESEARCH
& DESIGN
CFD Validation Using Physical Modeling
VERIFICATION BEFORE PROGNOSTICATION
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Wind Effects on
Hemispherical Domes
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Inflated domes require
internal pressures
exceeding external
pressures to avoid
buckling.
Internal pressures must
not be too large or
excessive membrane or
tensile forces occur, and
membrane tears.
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Wind-tunnel Study of
Inflated Domes
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Newman, Ganguli and
Shrivastava (1984) studied
pressure distributions on
three inflatable domes in a
boundary layer.
H/D = 0.5, 0.37 & 0.25,
H/=0.12-0.13, U=7.5
m/s, Re=UD/=226,000
FEM calculations show
buckling occurs on plane of
symmetry and upwind when
the internal inflation
pressures < 0.7-0.44 of the
dynamic pressure at the
dome top.
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CSU WEFL Wind Tunnel Experiment
CSU WEFL Industrial Aerodynamics Wind Tunnel
Hot Film
Anemometer
Postprocess
Software
PC-NT
Computer
Pressure
Transducer
Pressure
Scanner
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Wind-Tunnel Initial Conditions
Grid: 86,000 cells
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Z = 1m
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Z = 0.8 m
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ASCE 7-98C
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Windtunnel
Velocity Contours:
Umax = 15 m/s
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Grid Systems: One and Two Domes
18,000 Cells
43,000 Cells
33,000 Cells
16,400 Cells
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Hemisphere Grids
Boundary layer & Hex Grid
Boundary layer & Tet Grid
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Velocity & Turbulence Profiles:
Single Dome Comparisons
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Single Dome Comparisons:
Pressure Profiles
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Single Dome Comparisons:
Reynolds Number Variation
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Reynolds Number =
(U H/) = 185,000
Reynolds Number =
(U H/) =
1,440,000
Conclusion: No
significant difference
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Single Dome Comparisons:
Turbulence Models
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Standard kappaepsilon model
(2 equations)
Reynolds stress
model (7 equations)
Spalart Allmaras
model (1 equation)
Conclusion: No
significant difference
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Single Dome Comparisons:
Pressure Profiles
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Single Dome Comparisons:
Smooth vs Rough
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Double Dome Comparisons
Approach wind at 90o
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Double Dome Comparisons
Approach wind at 90o
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Surface Pressures:
Angles 0o, 45o & 90o
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Pressure Coefficient Contours:
Experimental vs Numerical:
Approach wind at 0o
Cp Contours: numerical
Cp Contours:
experimental
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Double Dome Comparisons
Approach wind at 0o
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Double Dome Comparisons
Approach wind at 45o
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Pressure Coefficient Contours:
Experimental vs Numerical:
Approach wind at 90o
Cp Contours: numerical
Cp Contours:
experimental
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Double Dome Comparisons
Approach wind at 90o
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Conclusions
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CFD calculations reproduced mean Cp
behavior over smooth, rough and paired
domes.
CFD calculations using k-, RNG, and
Rey turbulence models gave similar
results.
CFD calculations at high and low
Reynolds numbers gave similar results.
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Approaching the End
WHALE WATCHING
IS NOT AN
EMERGENCY KEEP
DRIVING
GOOD LUCK
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The End
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