© 2020 IIETA. This article is published by IIETA and is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
OPEN ACCESS
A piece of software that acts as a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the setup of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models that are solved by means of the open source code OpenFOAM, is presented. The software is extensively described, with emphasis in the generation of block structured meshes using hexahedral elements. This computer program has been developed aiming at being applied in wind engineering problems of interest in civil engineering, such as the computation of force coefficients, flutter derivatives and vortex-induced vibrations. It has been devised to deal efficiently with rectangular cylinders and streamlined box decks. This software demands limited intervention from the user, and its core routines can be embedded in automated design processes such as parametric or optimal design problems in wind engineering. Two application examples have been considered: static and forced oscillation simulations of both, a side ratio 2:1 rectangular cylinder and a streamlined box deck. It has been found that this software is an efficient tool for the setup of URANS simulations in OpenFOAM, while the numerical results obtained for the studied aerodynamic and aeroelastic phe- nomena show good agreement with wind tunnel data, and their level of accuracy is equivalent to other CFD-based simulations.
CFD, GUI, flutter derivatives, force coefficients, OpenFOAM, rectangular cylinder, stream- lined box deck, vortex induced vibration
[1] Alvarez, A.J., Nieto, F., Kwok, K.C.S. & Hernandez, S., Aerodynamic performanceof twin-box decks: A parametric study on gap width effects based on validated 2DURANS simulations. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics 2018,182, pp. 202–221.
[2] Cid Montoya, M., Hernandez, S. & Nieto, F., Shape optimization of streamlined decksof cable-stayed bridges considering aeroelastic and structural constraints. Journal ofWind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics 2018, 177, pp. 429–455.
[3] Barrero, A., Alonso, G., Meseguer, J. & Astiz, M.A., Ensayos en tunel de viento de unmodelo aeroelastico del arco del puente sobre el no Tajo “Arcos de Alconetar”. HormigonyAcero 2007, 245, pp. 33–40. (In Spanish).
[4] Patruno, L., Accuracy of numerically evauated flutter derivativesof bridge deck sectionsusing RANS: Effects on the flutter onset velocity. Eng. Structures 2015, 89, pp. 49–65.
[5] Haque, M.N., Katsuchi, H., Yamada, H. & Nishio, M., Strategy to develop efficient gridsystem for flow analysis around two-dimensional bluff bodies. KSCE Journal of CivilEngineering 2015, 20(5), pp. 1913–1924.
[6] Wilcox, D.C., Turbulence modeling for CFD 2006. 3rd Edition; DCW Industries, Inc.
[7] Menter, F. & Esch, T., Elements of industrial heat transfer prediction. Proc. 16thBrazilianCongress of Mechanical Engineering 2001, Invited lectures 20, pp. 117–127.
[8] Nieto, F., Hargreaves, D.M., Owen, J.S. & Hernandez, S., On the applicability of 2DURANS and SST k-w turbulence model to the fluid-structure interaction of rectangularcylinders. Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics 2015, 9(1),pp. 157–173.
[9] Simiu, E. & Scanlan, R.H., Wind effects on structures 1996. 3rd Edition; John Wiley &Sons, Inc.
[10] Washizu, K, Ohya, A., Otsuki, Y. & Fujii, K., Aeroelastic instability of rectangularcylindersin a heaving mode. Journal of Sound and Vibration 1978, 59(2), pp. 195–210.
[11] Shimada, K. & Ishihara, T. Predictability of unsteady two-dimensional k-e model on theaerodynamic instabilities of some rectangular prisms. Journal of Fluids and Structures2012, 28, pp. 20–39.
[12] Nieto, F., Owen, J.S., Hargreaves, D.M. & Hernandez, S., Bridge deck flutter derivatives:Efficient numerical evaluation exploiting their interdependence. Journal of WindEngineering and Industrial Aerodynamics 2015, 136, pp. 138–150.
[13] Zhang, Y., Jia, Y., Wang, S.S.Y. & Altinakar, M., Composite structured mesh generationwith automatic domain decomposition in complex geometries. Engineering applicationsof computational fluid mechanics 2013, 7(1), pp. 90–102.
[14] Mannini, C., Soda, A. & Schewe, G., Numerical investigation on the threedimensionalunsteady flow past a 5:1 rectangular cylinder. Journal of Wind Engineering and IndustrialAerodynamics 2011, 99(4), pp. 469–482.
[15] Sarkic, A., Fisch, R., Hoffer, R. & Bletzinger, K., Bridge flutter derivatives basedon computed, validated pressure fields. Journal of Wind Engineering and IndustrialAerodynamics2012, pp. 104–106, 141–151.
[16] Sarkar, P.P., Caracoglia, L., Haan F.L., Sato, H. & Murakoshi, J., Comparative andsensitive study of flutter derivatives of selected bridge deck sections, Part 1: Analysisof inter-laboratory experimental data. Engineering Structures 2009, 31, pp. 158–169.
[17] Washizu, K, Ohya, A., Otsuki, Y. & Fujii, K., Aeroelastic instability of rectangularcylindersin a torsional mode. Journal of Sound and Vibration 1980, 72(4), pp. 507–521.
[18] Holzmann, T. Mathematics, Numerics, Derivations and OpenFOAM 2017, HolzmannCFD, 4th Edition.
[19] Nakaguchi, H., Hashimoto, K. & Muto, S., An experimental study on aerodynamicdrag of rectangular cylinders. Journal of the Japan Society of Aeronautical and SpaceSciences1968, 16, pp. 1–5.
[20] Sakamoto, H., Haniu, H. & Kobayashi, Y., Fluctuating force acting on rectangularcylindersin uniform flow (on rectangular cylinders with fully separted flow). Transactionsof the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, Series B 55 1989, 516, pp. 2310–2317.
[21] Shimada, K. & Ishihara, T., Application of a modified k-e model to the prediction ofaerodynamic characteristics of rectangular cross-section cylinders. J. Fluids Struct.2002, 16(4), pp. 465–485.
[22] Brusiani, F., de Miranda, S., Patruno, L., Ubertini, F. & Vaona, P., On the evaluationof bridge deck flutter derivatives using RANS turbulence models. Journal of WindEngineeringand Industrial Aerodynamics 2013, 119, pp. 39–47.