Numerical Simulations of Boundary-Layer Airflow Over Pitched-Roof Buildings

Abstract

Arrays of buildings with pitched roofs are common in urban and suburban areas of European cities. Large-eddy simulations are performed to predict the boundary-layer flows over flat and pitched-roof cuboids to gain a greater understanding of the impact of pitched roofs on urban boundary layers. The simulation methodology is validated for an array of flat roof cuboids. Further simulations show that changes in the type of grid conformity have a negligible effect on the mean flow field and turbulent stresses, while having a visible, but small, effect on the dispersive stresses for a given packing density. Comparisons are made for flat and 45^circ pitched roof cuboid arrays at packing densities of 16.7% and 33.3%. The interactions between pitched-roof buildings and their effect on the urban boundary layer are considerably different to those of flat-roof buildings. The pitched roofs at a packing density of 33.3% leads to significant changes in the mean flow field, the Reynolds stresses, and the aerodynamic drag. Further work investigates the effects of changes in turbulence level and atmospheric thermal stratification in the approaching flow. Importantly, in comparison to a flat-roof array, the pitched-roof one at a packing density of 33.3% evidently increase the friction velocity and greatly reduces the effects of stable stratification conditions and changes in inflow turbulence level.