Effect of a vertical guide plate on the wind loading of an inclined flat plate

Abstract

Wind tunnel experiments were performed to study the wind loads on an inclined flat plate with and without a guide plate. Highly turbulent flow, which corresponded to free-stream turbulence intensity on the flat roof of low-rise buildings, was produced by a turbulence generation grid at the inlet of the test section. The test model could represent a typical solar collector panel of a solar water heater. There are up-stream movements of the separation bubble and side-edge vortices, more intense fluctuating pressure and a higher bending moment in the turbulent flow. A guide plate would result in higher lift coefficient, particularly with an increased projected area ratio of a guide plate to an inclined flat plate. The value of lift coefficient is considerably lower with increased free-stream turbulent intensity.