Increasing Wind Velocity Research Articles

Numerical Analysis on Static Performances of Graphene Platelet-Reinforced Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) Composite Membrane Under Wind Loading

This study examines the static performances of a graphene platelet (GPL)-reinforced ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) composite membrane under wind loadings. The wind pressure distribution on a periodic tensile membrane unit was analyzed by using CFD simulations, which considered various wind velocities and directions. A one-way fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis incorporating geometric nonlinearity was performed in ANSYS to evaluate the static performances of the composite membrane. The novelty of this research lies in the integration of graphene platelets (GPLs) into ETFE membranes to enhance their static performance under wind loading and the combination of micromechanical modelling for obtaining material properties of the composites and finite element simulation for examining structural behaviors, which is not commonly explored in the existing literature. The elastic properties required for the structural analysis were determined using effective medium theory (EMT), while Poisson’s ratio and mass density were evaluated using rule of mixtures. Parametric studies were carried out to explore the effects of a number of influencing factors, including pre-strain, attributes of wind, and GPL reinforcement. It is demonstrated that higher initial strain effectively reduced deformation under wind loads at the cost of increased stress level. The deformation and stress significantly increased with the increase in wind velocity. The deflection and stress level vary with the wind direction, and the maximum values were observed when the wind comes at 15° and 45°, respectively. Introducing GPLs with a larger surface area into membrane material has proven to be an effective way to control membrane deformation, though it also results in a higher stress level, indicating a trade-off between deformation management and stress management.

A Comparison of a Three Blade and Five Blade Wind Turbine in Terms of the Mechanical Properties Using the Q-Blade Software

يمكن لتوربينات الرياح المنتشرة في مزارع الرياح على نطاق المرافق أن تدعم تلبية رغبات الطاقة المستقبلية وتقليل انبعاثات ثاني أكسيد الكربون عن طريق تقليل متطلبات الطاقة من الوقود الأحفوري. مع ارتفاع درجة حرارة الهواء على مدار اليوم، تزداد سرعة الرياح بسبب تدرجات درجة الحرارة، والتي تنتج تدرجًا في الكثافة / الضغط، مما يؤدي إلى حركة الهواء التي تواجهها توربينات الرياح. اعتمادًا على تضاريس الأرض، يمكن أن تواجه الرياح وتوجه في الوديان بين التلال وفوقها حيث تتدفق وتتبع منحنيات الأرض. تنتج هذه التضاريس زيادة في سرعة الرياح في القمم والتلال. في هذا العمل، تم تصميم شفرة دوار توربينات الرياح الأفقية الصغيرة للعمل في ظل سرعة الرياح المنخفضة، باستخدام برنامج (Q-Blade). استنادًا إلى نظرية عنصر الشفرة (BEM). مع الجنيح NACA3712. تم استخدام دوار ثلاثي الشفرات ودوار بخمس شفرات بناءً على نوع التوربين وحجم الدوار لتوليد الطاقة الميكانيكية من طاقة الرياح. تم إجراء مقارنة وتحليل قوة التوربين ومعامل القدرة ومعامل عزم الدوران عند سرعة رياح منخفضة ((1m/s-8m/s وتم الحصول على نتائج دقيقة للغاية. وجد أن أفضل أداء يمكن أن يعمل فيه دوار توربيني ثلاثي الشفرات بقدرة توربينية تبلغ (955W) كما تم الحصول على قدرة التوربين ((582W للدوار خماسي الشفرات. وجد أن تصميم توربينة رياح أفقية صغيرة بخمس ريش أفضل من التوربين بثلاث ريش ومناسب للعمل في المناطق ذات سرعة الرياح المنخفضة وبكفاءة عالية مقارنة بحجم التوربين.

Amplification of flow-induced vibrations of a circular cylinder by an oscillating minute attachment

The presence and circumferential oscillation of rivulets can excite large-amplitude vibrations for cables. Inspired by this phenomenon, a minute attachment was employed to simulate the upper-rivulet motion and successfully excited a large-amplitude vibration for a circular cylinder in a wind tunnel. By minute attachment, we mean a stainless-steel strip exhibiting morphological and dimensional characteristics analogous to the rivulet. The role of the circumferentially oscillating minute attachment on the flow-induced vibration of a circular cylinder was explored by detailed flow and structural measurements. The experimental results demonstrated that as wind velocity increased, the vibration amplitude of the model progressively increased, and the impact of the attachment on aerodynamics increased as well. It was also found that the wake behavior shifted from alternating vortex shedding to periodic “expansion–contraction” flapping in the boundary layers with increasing wind velocity. In particular, the oscillating minute attachment could control the boundary layer separation and form a “low velocity zone” on the upper surface of the model that varied with the attachment. Then, the aerodynamic lift force was synchronized with the attachment oscillation frequency, which was equal to the natural frequency of the vibrating circular cylinder. As a consequence, the vibration amplitude was rapidly developed.

A trans-scale simulation of aeolian sand flow – dune – dune field based on actual environmental wind field

The present work employs a predictive model of fluctuating wind velocities constructed on the basis of long-term field observations to perform trans-scale simulations of aeolian sand flow, dune morphology and migration characteristics, and the overall evolution of dune fields. On the premise of comparing the simulated basic statistics of turbulent wind field and sand flow, and dune dynamic characteristics with experimental results to verify the reliability of our dune field model, the simulation results at different scales are compared with those of mean-flow based simulations to explore the effects of turbulent fluctuations. Analyses on sand transport rate of sand flow and average saltation length of sand particles indicated that turbulent fluctuations enhance the sand transport capacity of wind field, which promotes the initial morphological growth of dunes, dune migration and inter-dune interactions; and thus, more small size dunes with typical morphologic features are formed earlier within dune fields. The cumulative impacts of turbulence during long-term evolution accelerate the coarsening of dune field pattern, causing the dune number density to decline more rapidly, the dune height and inter-dune spacing to be larger in dune fields. Additionally, the turbulence effects enhanced with increasing wind velocities have more significant influences on small inertial particles with better following features. These findings contribute to insights into the effects of natural turbulent wind field on aeolian dune systems.

Climate-adaptive fire smoke ventilation strategies for atrium-type metro stations: A NSGA-II multi-objective optimisation study

This study explores the impact of climate variability on the operation of sustainable ventilation systems in urban infrastructure, with a focus on smoke movement in metro stations under varied external climatic conditions. Smoke characteristics and ventilation strategies in an atrium-type metro station are investigated using numerical simulations. The simulations reveal the influence of external climate on smoke movement through the atrium and roof windows, with particular attention to outdoor temperature and wind velocity. The study designs different ventilation strategies for smoke control that incorporate meteorological data, evaluating smoke visibility, CO distribution, and smoke extraction efficiency. The findings indicate that under severe external climates of low temperatures and high wind velocities, smoke extraction from roof window outlets is challenging. The adverse effects of external climate decrease the natural smoke extraction efficiency, increase the CO concentration, and reduce the safe visibility area. However, improved ventilation measures, such as the platform make-up air system and roof mechanical extraction system, can significantly enhance smoke control performance and facilitate safe evacuation. The study also employs the NSGA-II multi-objective optimisation method to obtain optimal ventilation strategies for different climates, balancing three optimisation objectives of operating energy consumption, safe visibility area, and smoke extraction efficiency. The outcomes show that the recommended values of Vp are 20%–30 % (0 °C ≤ To≤40 °C) and 40 % (−40 °C ≤ To<0 °C), vr are 0.3 (10 °C ≤ To≤40 °C) and 0.4 (−40 °C ≤ To < −10 °C), and Vc are all lower than 4 %. As wind velocity increases, the recommended values need to be enhanced. This research contributes to sustainable urban development by offering a framework for managing public safety and energy efficiency in the context of climate variability.

Influence of external wind on fire characteristics and smoke dynamics in a stairwell adjacent to a room

A range of fire experiments were conducted to explore fire characteristics and smoke dynamics in a 1/6-scale stairwell adjacent to a room at different external wind velocities. The results indicated that the flame volume during the initial stage and the time taken for combustion to enter the steady stage both decrease with the increasing wind velocity. There are two opposite effects of the external wind on the fire combustion in a burning room adjacent to a stairwell. The inhibition effect plays an important role at lower wind velocities, leading to a decrease in the mass loss rate (MLR) of the pool fire. Conversely, the promotion effect dominates at higher wind velocities, resulting in an increase in the MLR. Stack effect and external wind demonstrate a synergistic relationship during experiments, and a correlation of the airflow velocity, wind velocity and heat release rate (HRR) is established. There are intersections in temperature curves at different wind velocities due to the smaller temperature decay rate in the stairwell and the lower smoke temperature near the pool fire at a higher velocity. Furthermore, a prediction model is also proposed for the smoke temperature distribution inside the stairwell, taking into account the wind velocity and HRR.

Towards safer hydrogen refuelling stations: Insights from computational fluid dynamics on LH₂ leakage

Scaling hydrogen as a key clean energy carrier necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the safety aspects of hydrogen including liquid hydrogen (LH₂). Hence, this study presents a detailed computational fluid mechanics analysis to explore accidental LH₂ leakage and dispersion in a hydrogen refuelling station under varied conditions which is essential to prevent fire and explosion. The correlated impact of influential parameters including wind direction, wind velocity, leak direction, and leak rate were analysed. The study shows that hydrogen dispersion is significantly impacted by the combined effect of wind direction and surrounding structures. Additionally, the leak rate and leak direction have a significant effect on the development of the flammable cloud volume (FCV), which is critical for estimating the explosion hazards. Increasing wind velocity from 2 to 4 m/s at a constant leak rate of 0.06 kg/s results in an 82% reduction in FCV. The minimum FCV occurs when leak and wind directions oppose at 4 m/s. The most critical situation concerning FCV arises when the leak and wind directions are perpendicular, with a leak rate of 0.06 kg/s and a wind velocity of 2 m/s. These findings can aid in the development of optimised sensing and monitoring systems and operational strategies to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire and explosion consequences.

Experimental Study on the Wind Erosion Resistance of Aeolian Sand Solidified by Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP).

Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is an emerging solidification method characterized by high economic efficiency, environmental friendliness, and durability. This study validated the reliability of the MICP sand solidification method by conducting a small-scale wind tunnel model test using aeolian sand solidified by MICP and analyzing the effects of wind velocity (7 m/s, 10 m/s, and 13 m/s), deflation angle (0°, 15°, 30°, and 45°), wind erosion cycle (1, 3, and 5), and other related factors on the mass loss rate of solidified aeolian sand. The microstructure of aeolian sand was constructed by performing mesoscopic and microscopic testing based on X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). According to the test results, the mass loss rate of solidified aeolian sand gradually increases with the increase in wind velocity, deflation angle, and wind erosion cycle. When the wind velocity was 13 m/s, the mass loss rate of the aeolian sand was only 63.6%, indicating that aeolian sand has excellent wind erosion resistance. CaCO3 crystals generated by MICP were mostly distributed on sand particle surfaces, in sand particle pores, and between sand particles to realize the covering, filling, and cementing effects.

Ignition of Forest Fires by Cigarette Butts: Using Pinus massoniana Needles as an Example

As a cigarette butt falls onto the forest surface fuel, it first smolders the fuel, then ignites into flames, and spreads as forest fire under certain conditions. In this study, the needles under a typical stand of P. massoniana were used as the research object. Needle beds with different moisture content and packing ratios were constructed indoors. Cigarette butt-ignition experiments were conducted under different wind velocities, and 30 experiment cycles were conducted under different conditions. There was a total of 5 (packing ratio) × 4 (moisture content) × 6 (wind velocity) = 120 sets of conditions, and a total of 3600 ignition experiments were conducted. The results showed that (1) the total ignition probability of the cigarette butts was 2.36%, which only occurred when the fuelbed moisture content was &lt;10% and the wind velocity was &gt;1 m/s. The ignition time of cigarette butts ranged from 2.73 to 7.25 min. (2) The fuelbed moisture content and wind velocity significantly influenced the ignition probability and time. With an increase in moisture content, the ignition probability of cigarette butts decreased, while the time required for ignition showed an increasing trend. Wind velocity had a dual effect on ignition. The ignition effect was optimal at a wind velocity of 4 m/s. With an increase in wind velocity, the ignition probability first increased and then decreased, and the ignition time first decreased and then increased. (3) The packing ratio had no significant effect on the ignition probability; however, the ignition time significantly decreased as the packing ratio increased. (4) The logistic regression method (LRM), general linear method (GLM), and nonlinear regression method (NLM) were used to establish a prediction model of ignition probability. The prediction effect of GLM was the worst, followed by LRM, and the NLM had the best prediction effect. The GLM was selected to establish the ignition time model, and the error was also within the allowance range. This study elucidated the underlying mechanism of factors affecting cigarette butt-based fuel ignition. In addition, the established prediction model provides a reference for human-caused forest fires and is highly significant for forest fire prevention.

Potential for on-grid hybrid renewable energy in a humid subtropical climatic zone: technological, economic, and environmental aspects

Abstract China’s abundant natural resources reveal inconsistencies in economics, environment, and society. Renewable energy sources can reduce environmental pollutants and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Using HOMER software, Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, China, optimizes the economic, environmental, and technological aspects of creating an off-grid hybrid power system for 100 houses. According to the results, the most economically feasible photovoltaic (PV)–wind turbine (WT)–grid hybrid system is made up of one WT, 25.55 kW converters, and 80 kW PV panels. Its total net present cost (NPC) is $494 119, and its cost of energy (COE) is $0.043/kWh. However, because it has the greatest operation expenses, the PV–grid hybrid configuration has the highest NPC of $687 906 and COE of $0.068/kWh. Furthermore, according to the technical analysis’s findings, WT contributed 49.2% of the overall power generation, equivalent to $357 694/kWh. The optimal WT/PV/grid configuration, which is the suggested configuration, has the lowest yearly emissions of carbon dioxide (174 236 kg/year), whereas the PV–grid configuration has the highest carbon dioxide emissions (246 769 kg/year). The results of the sensitivity evaluation’s findings demonstrate that the COE and NPC amounts for the ideal configuration decline as solar irradiation and wind velocity increase. To clarify, raising the system’s velocity of wind or radiation from the sun can make it more economically viable. It may be concluded that the WT–PV–grid hybrid configuration is the more environmentally friendly and economical technology. Zhanjiang, China, has the potential to develop a sustainable alternative energy system combining WT and biomass power generation, but factors like fuel limitations and energy consumption must be considered.

Dynamic characteristics of wind and PM10 over desert-oasis transition zone during dust events

Dust storm events generate aeolian dust as one of the main aerosols in the atmosphere, with significant impacts on air quality and human health. Further study is needed on the dust emission processes in source regions and the impacts of underlying surfaces with forested windbreaks on the transport of wind flow and PM10 to develop more accurate dust concentration forecasts. Synchronized monitoring of wind velocity and the PM10 concentration was performed along the dust transport pathway crossing the desert and oasis in Minqin County, Gansu Province, China. Results indicated that the PM10 concentration and flux responded quickly to wind velocity in the desert with both having obvious power function relationships. The addition of supra-regional transport of PM10 particles led to an abnormal increase in PM10 concentration and flux. Between desert and oasis, a positive linear function relationship of PM10 concentrations and quadratic function relationship of PM10 flux exist. The dynamic transfer process of PM10 in the oasis roughly depends on the condition of PM10 in the desert area. Forested windbreaks significantly reduced the mean wind velocity and PM10 flux by 65.02% and 67.63%, respectively. However, forests had a weak influence on the mean PM10 concentration. The effects of forested windbreaks on the PM10 concentration are related to the windward wind velocity. With increasing velocity, difference of PM10 concentration from desert to oasis turned from negative to positive, while the positive effects of the forested windbreak system can be enhanced by an increase in the windward wind velocity.

An Experimental Study of Pool Fire Characteristics under the Effects of Cross Winds and Baffles

The pool fires that occur behind obstructions in a ventilated environment are very different from other wind-blown pool fires. The pool fire formed by fuel leakage in an engine nacelle is a typical example of a pool fire influenced by cross winds and baffles. Mastering the combustion characteristics of this type of fire is of great significance for fire prevention and control. In this study, the burning rate, flame length, and flame tilt angle of heptane pool fires behind a baffle under different cross wind velocities (ranging from 0 to 5 m/s) were experimentally investigated. Square pool fires with dimension of 8 cm and 12 cm with baffle height from 4 to 12 cm and different distances between fire and baffle (0, 20, 30 cm) were tested in a wind tunnel. The experimental results show that the burning rate increases with the increase in cross wind velocity for each baffle height. As wind velocity exceeds 2 m/s, the burning rate first decreases and then increases with the increase in baffle height. The flame length initially increases and then decreases with increasing wind velocity. The upper flame tilt angle is mainly affected by the cross wind, while the bottom flame tilt angle is influenced by the combined effects of cross wind velocity, baffle height, and distance between baffle and flame. The empirical correlations under different distances between baffle and flame, with wind velocity and baffle height accounted for, are then proposed for the dimensionless heat release rate and the flame length of heptane pool fires.

Transient aerodynamics of a square cylinder under downburst-like accelerating flows reproduced in a multiple-fan wind tunnel

Aerodynamic and pressure coefficients of a sectional model of a sharp-edged square cylinder, at zero incidence angle, are experimentally evaluated in accelerating flow conditions through the use of a multiple-fan wind tunnel. Different unsteady flows are reproduced, characterized by flow parameters which dictate the initial and target velocities, as well as the flow acceleration and deceleration, and the temporal spacing between the ramp-up and the ramp-down. The accelerating turbulent flows reproduced during the campaign are consistent with those typical of full-scale downbursts.The ensemble mean of the mean drag coefficient in unsteady conditions reveals to be either comparable or definitely lower than the one relevant to the steady case. The drop seems to increase for higher levels of the acceleration and to be enhanced for the ramp-up conditions, while the ramp-down case suggests a lower level of reduction. This non-symmetric pattern appears to be mitigated when the starting wind velocity increases, reflecting a higher initial Reynolds number. Same comments, but with greater discrepancies compared to the steady conditions, might be addressed for the standard deviation of the lift coefficient connected with vortex shedding. Both these findings point out the presence of fluid-memory effects associated with the acceleration, which might affect the development of vortex shedding and the consequent bluff-body aerodynamics in transient conditions. This is also confirmed by the analyses of the mean pressure distributions. In particular, the detailed scrutiny of specific pressure coefficients reflects their different level of interference with the wake and the model edge.

Fluid-structure interaction behaviors of tension membrane roofs by fully-coupled numerical simulation

This study aims to investigate fluid-structure interaction (FSI) behaviors of an enclosed-type tension membrane flat roof. The roof with rectangular shape is chosen as the object because of its relatively idealized geometry for FSI analysis, which is a simplified shape compared to typical membrane roofs. Fully-coupled numerical simulations are performed to obtain the wind induced vibration, aerodynamic forces and surrounding flow field of the tension membrane roof structure, where large-eddy simulation (LES) is used for solving of the flow field, non-linear membrane elements are adopted for the structure field and partitioned algorithm is applied for the coupling between the flow and membrane vibration. The numerical simulations are validated by the aero-elastic experimental results. The characteristics of the wind-induced displacements and aerodynamic forces of the tension membrane roof are investigated in both time and frequency domains. The energy transfer characteristics between wind and the vibrating roof are investigated based on the phase analysis between the generalized forces and displacements of the membrane roof. The underlying mechanism of the modal-jump phenomena that the vibration mode of the membrane jumps from the first mode to the second mode with increasing wind velocity, as well as the instability mechanism of the tension membrane roof, are revealed by flow visualizations and unsteady aerodynamic forces identifications. It is found that the aero-elastic instability of the flat membrane roof is a kind of vortex-induced vibration (VIV), where the modal-jump phenomena and unstable vibration of the membrane roof occur with the occurrence of negative aerodynamic damping, induced by the interaction between the vortex transporting and the roof motion.

Long-term studies of the summer wind in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere at middle and high latitudes over Europe

Abstract. Continuous wind measurements using partial-reflection radars and specular meteor radars have been carried out for nearly 2 decades (2004–2022) at middle and high latitudes over Germany (∼ 54° N) and northern Norway (∼ 69° N), respectively. They provide crucial data for understanding the long-term behavior of winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere. Our investigation focuses on the summer season, characterized by the low energy contribution from tides and relatively stable stratospheric conditions. This work presents the long-term behavior, variability, and trends of the maximum velocity of the summer eastward, westward, and southward winds. In addition, the geomagnetic influence on the summer zonal and meridional wind is explored at middle and high latitudes. The results show a mesospheric westward summer maximum located around 75 km with velocities of 35–54 m s−1, while the lower-thermospheric eastward wind maximum is observed at ∼ 97 km with wind speeds of 25–40 m s−1. A weaker southward wind peak is found around 86 km, ranging from 9 to 16 m s−1. The findings indicate significant trends at middle latitudes in the westward summer maxima with increasing winds over the past decades, while the southward winds show a decreasing trend. On the other hand, only the eastward wind in July has a decreasing trend at high latitudes. Evidence of oscillations around 2–3, 4, and 6 years modulate the maximum velocity of the summer winds. In particular, a periodicity between 10.2 and 11.3 years found in the westward component is more significant at middle latitudes than at high latitudes, possibly due to solar radiation. Furthermore, stronger geomagnetic activity at high latitudes causes an increase in eastward wind velocity, whereas the opposite effect is observed in zonal jets at middle latitudes. The meridional component appears to be disturbed during high geomagnetic activity, with a notable decrease in the northward wind strength below approximately 80 km at both latitudes.

Modeling the Formation and Evolution of Solar Wind Microstreams: From Coronal Plumes to Propagating Alfvénic Velocity Spikes

We investigate the origin of mesoscale structures in the solar wind called microstreams, defined as enhancements in the solar wind speed and temperature that last several hours. They were first clearly detected in Helios and Ulysses solar wind data and are now omnipresent in the “young” solar wind measured by the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter. These recent data reveal that microstreams transport a profusion of Alfvénic perturbations in the form of velocity spikes and magnetic switchbacks. In this study, we use a very-high-resolution 2.5D MHD model of the corona and the solar wind to simulate the emergence of magnetic bipoles interacting with the preexisting ambient corona and the creation of jets that become microstreams propagating in the solar wind. Our high-resolution simulations reach sufficiently high Lundquist numbers that capture the tearing mode instability that develops in the reconnection region and produces plasmoids released with the jet into the solar wind. Our domain runs from the lower corona to 20 R ⊙, which allows us to track the formation process of plasmoids and their evolution into Alfvénic velocity spikes. We obtain perturbed solar wind flows lasting several hours with velocity spikes occurring at characteristic periodicities of about 19 minutes. We retrieve several properties of the microstreams measured in the pristine solar wind by the Parker Solar Probe, namely an increase in wind velocity of about 100 km s−1 during a stream's passage together with superposed velocity spikes of also about 100 km s−1 released into the solar wind.

Effects of Wind on Heat Transfer and Spread of Different Fire Lines Across a Pine Needle Fuel Bed

ABSTRACT In this work, a series of surface fire experiments are performed to investigate the effect of wind velocity on the surface fire behaviors over a pine needle fuel bed under nine wind velocities (0/0.25/0.5/0.75/1/1.5/2/2.5/3 m/s) and three fuel loads (0.2/0.5/0.8 kg/m2). The essential parameters are obtained and analyzed, including flame length, flame angle, flame spread rate, and heat flux. The main valuable conclusions have been drawn: (1) Under no or low wind velocity, the flame tilts in the direction of the burned fuel, and the fire line shows a linear shape; whereas as the wind velocity increases, the flame gradually shifts toward the unburned fuel and the fire line is observed to be curved. (2) Flame angle decreases with increasing wind velocity and is not sensitive to fuel load, while flame length, heat transfer, and fire spread rate increase with increasing wind velocity and fuel load. Moreover, the empirical flame length and fire spread rate models are proposed considering the wind velocity and fuel load. (3) The modified model of radiation heat flux for surface fire spread under wind conditions taking different fire line shapes into account, is developed, and the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental data. This paper’s results can help better understand the fire spread and controlling mechanism of surface fire under wind velocity conditions.

CFD Study of Pressure Distribution on Recessed Faces of a Diamond C-Shaped Building

A building situated in the flow path of the wind is subjected to differential velocity and pressure distribution around the envelope. Wind effects are influenced by and vary for each individual shape of a tall building. Tall building structures are considered as cantilever structures with fixed ends at the ground. Wind velocity acting along the height of the building makes the velocity and pressure distribution more complex; as the height of the building structure increases, wind velocity increases. This study discusses the effect of the wind on an irregular cross-section shape. The present study was conducted numerically with a building model placed in a virtual wind tunnel using the ANSYS (CFX 2020 Academic Version) software tool. Wind effects are investigated on a building model situated in a terrain category-II defined in IS: 875 (Part 3): 2015; wind scale model of 1:100 and turbulence intensity are at 5% and power law index α is considered to be 0.143. The validation and verification of the study were made by comparing pressure coefficients on different faces of a rectangular model of similar floor area and height as that taken for a C-plan dia-mond-shaped model under similar boundary conditions, wind environment, and solver setting of numerical setups. The values of surface pressures generated on the recessed faces of the model and wind flow patterns within the recessed cavity were studied at wind incident angles 0°, 30°, 60°, 105°, 135°, and 180°. The critical suction on all the recessed faces was observed to be at a 105° angle of wind attack.

Improving the photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) system by adding the PCM and finned tube heat exchanger

In this study, we aimed to improve the performance of the photovoltaic-thermal (PV/T) system by incorporating phase change material (PCM) into the heat exchanger. A new design for the finned tube heat exchanger layout was introduced, and a comprehensive mathematical model was developed to analyze the heat transfer process and operational efficiency of the PV/T system. The temperature variation of the PV/T system was simulated and validated using real climatic conditions in Baghdad and Tehran. To conduct our analysis, we utilized the OpenFOAM software and enhanced our solver to accurately capture the melting process in the PCM. We also investigated the effects of wind velocity and atmospheric pressure on the performance of the PV/T system. Our findings showed that an increase in wind velocity led to an increase in PV/T efficiency, while an increase in atmospheric pressure resulted in a decrease in efficiency. Additionally, we observed that the Baghdad climate was more sensitive to variations in wind velocity compared to Tehran. In Baghdad and Tehran, the highest obtained water temperatures were 54.3 and 50.1 °C, respectively. Furthermore, a study was conducted to assess the viability of using PV/T (photovoltaic-thermal) technology for hot water production in the Multi-Effect Desalination and Adsorption Desalination cycle. The proposed PV/T system demonstrated an average performance improvement of 26% compared to traditional PV/T systems. During warmer months, the system was capable of producing 0.11 and 0.10 m3/h of potable water per month in Baghdad and Tehran, respectively. Furthermore, the system had the potential to generate 170 and 140 kW h of electricity for the respective cities.

Exploring storm petrel pattering and sea-anchoring using deep reinforcement learning

Developing hybrid aerial-aquatic vehicles that can interact with water surfaces while remaining aloft is valuable for various tasks, including ecological monitoring, water quality sampling, and search and rescue operations. Storm petrels are a group of pelagic seabirds that exhibit a unique locomotion pattern known as ‘pattering’ or ‘sea-anchoring,’ which is hypothesized to support forward locomotion and/or stationary posture at the water surface. In this study, we use morphological measurements of three storm petrel species and aero/hydrodynamic models to develop a computational storm petrel model and interact it with a hybrid fluid environment. Using deep reinforcement learning algorithms, we find that the storm petrel model exhibits high maneuverability and stability under a wide range of constant wind velocities after training. We also verify in the simulation that the storm petrel can use its ‘pattering’ or ‘sea-anchoring’ behavior to achieve different biomechanical sub-tasks (e.g. weight support, forward locomotion, stabilization) and adapt it under different wind speeds and optimization objectives. Specifically, we observe an adjustment in storm petrel’s movement patterns as wind velocity increases and quantitively analyze its biomechanics underneath. Our results provide new insights into how storm petrels achieve efficient locomotion and dynamic stability at the air–water interface and adapt their behaviors to different wind velocities and tasks in open environments. Ultimately, our study will guide the design of next-generation biomimetic petrel-inspired robots for tasks requiring proximity to the water interface and efficiency.