CFD prediction of flowfield and snowdrift around a building complex in a snowy region

Abstract

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique is applied to the prediction of snowdrift around a nine-storey apartment building. A modified version of the Launder–Kato-type k – ε model (LK model) is used. In the first part of the paper, results of a preliminary study for a flowfield around a cube placed in a channel flow are presented. Here, results obtained by using the modified LK model are compared with those of measurements and the standard k – ε model. The latter part describes the numerical prediction of snowdrift around a nine-storey apartment building which is presently under construction in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture. Special emphasis is given to snowdrift into the elevator hall.