Experimental study of wind load on a container crane located in a uniform flow and atmospheric boundary layers

Abstract

The effects of oncoming atmospheric boundary layers and boom position on wind load acting on a container crane were tested in this study. A 1/150 scale-downed model of a container crane was embedded in a wind-tunnel test section. The wind environment nearby the container crane located in a port was simulated as a uniform flow and two types of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) for an open coast ( n = 1 / 10 ) and an open terrain ( n = 1 / 7 ) . Wind load acting on the container crane model was measured using a 7-component balance with varying wind directions (yaw angle). Reynolds number effect on the aerodynamic coefficients was investigated with varying Reynolds number. Drag and pitching-moment coefficients have maximum values at the yaw angles of θ = ± 3 0 ∘ , ±150 ∘, and minimum values at θ = ± 9 0 ∘ . For the simulated ABL conditions, the drag coefficient is reduced about 19%–25% on the average, compared to that in a uniform flow. However, the pitching moment in ABLs is about 10% on the average larger than that of a uniform flow. As the yaw angle increases, the drag and pitching-moment coefficients at boom-up condition are increased about 9%–14% and 37%–44%, respectively, compared with those in boom-down condition. In addition, the maximum wind load is reduced about 14% in the case of open-coast ABL and about 20% for the open-terrain ABL, compared to that in a uniform flow.