Computational Fluid Dynamics Validation of Rooftop Wind Regime in Complex Urban Environment

• Author / Creator

  Mattar, Sarah

• This thesis presents a validation methodology for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) assessments of rooftop wind regime in urban environments. A case study is carried out at the Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering (DICE) building at the University of Alberta campus. A numerical assessment of rooftop wind regime around buildings of the University of Alberta North campus has been performed by using 3D steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, on a large-scale high-resolution grid using the ANSYS CFX. Four anemometers were set up on the roof of the DICE building and the computer software LabVIEW was used for data acquisition. Six months of data were collected and analyzed using different methods of data extraction and comparison. Four in-flow directions and three free-stream wind speeds were simulated, and the results of the assessment showed that the CFD simulation results are much more sensitive to upstream geometry modelling, when compared to downstream, even in cases of areas of low roughness lengths. A wind resource assessment was also conducted, and the effect of averaging period on the average wind power density and turbulence intensity was studied. It was found that changing averaging period does not influence the average wind power density, but the turbulence intensity decreased with decreasing averaging period.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Urban Wind
  • CFD
  • Validation

• Graduation date

  Spring 2020

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-npyv-a673

• License

  Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission.