Dynamic properties of air

Fluids in motion have a much greater potential to exert pressures than do stationary uids the obvious eects on buildings of extreme wind velocities are well known

Impact of Air on Buildings

Dynamic properties of air
Fluids in motion have a much greater potential to exert pressures than do stationary uids the obvious eects on buildings of extreme wind velocities are well known

Fluids in motion: dynamic pressures

Bernoullis equation states that in streamline uid ow, energy is conserved, or the sum of: pressure energy Pstatic due to the pressure of the uid + potential energy Ppotential due to uid height in a gravitational eld + kinetic energy Pdynamic due to motion of the uid = constant

Fluids in motion: dynamic pressures

Bernoullis equation states that in streamline uid ow, energy is conserved, or the sum of: pressure energy Pstatic Pst where: + potential energy Ppotential gh + kinetic energy Pdynamic V2 = constant

Fluids in motion: dynamic pressures

Bernoullis equation states that in streamline uid ow, energy is conserved, or the sum of: pressure energy Pstatic Pst + potential energy Ppotential gh + kinetic energy Pdynamic V2 = constant

P = pressure (Pa) = mass density (kg/m3) g = gravitational constant (9.8 m/s2) h = height above reference level (m) V = wind velocity (m/s)

When considering only dynamic properties, often any height change is insignicant, and the equations can be simplied.

Fluids in motion: dynamic pressures

Simplied equations when height changes are not signicant:

Fluids in motion: dynamic pressures

Therefore, the basic equation for uid motion is: Pst + V2 = constant

pressure energy Pstatic Pst

kinetic energy Pdynamic V2

constant

static component

dynamic component

It should be noted then that regions of high wind speed typically have low static pressures.

Example 1: Dynamic pressures

a) In the following pipe, if air is moving at 5.0 m/s at location 1, what is its velocity at location 2? V1= 5 m/s location 1 area = 1 m2 by continuity: A1 V1 = A2 V2 where: A is cross sectional area (m2) V is wind velocity (m/s) therefore:
V2 = A1V1 (1m2 )(5.0m / s ) = = 2.0m / s 2.5m2 A2

Example 1: Dynamic pressures

b) What is the resultant pressure change on the walls of the pipe?

A1

A2

V2 location 2 area = 2.5 m2

V1= 5 m/s location 1 area = 1 m2 by Bernoullis equation:

A1

A2 2

V2 location 2 area = 2.5 m2

1 1 Pst1 + 2 V12 = Pst 2 + 2 V22 = constant

1 1 V12 2 V22 Pst 2 Pst 1 = 2

1 1 =2 (1.2kg / m2 )(5m / s )2 2 (1.2kg / m2 )(2m / s )2

= +12.6kg.m / s 2m2 = +12.6Pa

Types of uid ow
To understand the potential of uids in motion to exert pressures, it is important to understand the various types of uid ow. Typically the ow characteristics of a uid fall into one of two regimes: laminar, where ow is organized, predictable, and can be described with streamlines, viscous forces dominate over inertial forces sometimes referred to as streamlined ow turbulent, where ow is disorganized, chaotic, and impossible to represent with streamlines, inertial forces dominate over viscous forces

Types of uid ow

turbulent ow

transition from laminar to turbulent ow

laminar ow

Laminar uid ow
Automotive engineers strive for laminar ow over the surfaces of vehicles to ensure stability and reduce drag

Laminar uid ow
In order to maintain stability and control, it is important that the air ow over surfaces of aircraft, particularly those that contribute to the lifting, remain in the laminar ow regime.

Laminar uid ow
thin boundary layer

Turbulent uid ow
thick boundary layer

When in the laminar ow regime, the streamlines follow closely the shape of the solid object, with a thin boundary layer.

When air ow over aircraft surfaces is permitted to move into the turbulent regime, it is only done very intentionally and for specic purposes, as control can easily be lost.

Air ow over buildings

Air ow over buildings is almost always completely turbulent with the only exception being the windward face, where there are limited regions of laminar ow. The exact nature of the ow is quite unpredictable, and there is a wide wake downstream.

Flow separation
The width of the wake behind an object is a good indication of the drag exerted by the air moving past it if the wake can be made narrower, the drag is usually less.

wake

Flow separation
A reduction in drag is often obtained by encouraging the airow to re-attach to the object further downstream

Earths boundary layer

In order to analyze the air ow around buildings, it is necessary to understand the interaction of moving air wind with the earths surface. As with uid ow over smaller objects, the ow of air over the earths surface is slowed due to viscosity and drag, and results in a boundary layer a region close to the ground where the wind speed is slowed due to friction. This earths boundary layer exhibits predictable characteristics depending primarily on the roughness of the surface terrain over which the wind travels

Earths boundary layer

The distribution of wind velocities within the boundary layer near the earths surface can be represented approximately by:

Z U z = Ug Zg

Ug

where: Uz = wind speed at given height Z (m/s) Ug = wind speed at gradient height Zg (m/s) Z = given height above ground (m) Zg = gradient height (m) = ground roughness exponent

Zg

Earths boundary layer

Typical values of the coecients for a variety of ground roughness conditions are as follows:
Ug

Example: Earths boundary layer

Given an urban landscape, and assuming the boundary layer velocity distribution, what is the wind velocity at the top of a 200 m building if the gradient wind speed is 75 km/hr? Coecients for urban terrain: = 0.36 and Zg = 500 m

type of terrain open sea, desert open country, low scrub suburban areas urban areas

0.11 0.15 0.25 0.36

Zg 250 m 300 m 400 m 500 m

Zg

since:

Z U z = Ug Zg

Ug

replacing values:

200m Uz = (75km / hr ) 500m

= (75 km/hr) 0.719 = 53.9 km/hr

0.36

Zg

Building in boundary layer ow

Dynamic pressure coecient

stagnation point
When dealing with wind pressures on buildings, for comparison purposes it is useful to represent pressures in terms of a dimensionless pressure coecient dened as:

Cp = 1

P 2 2 V

or:

P = Cp ( V2)

where: P = pressure at a given location (Pa) = mass density of air (kg/m3) V = wind velocity at top of building (m/s) Therefore if the pressure coecients are known at various points on the building surfaces, the actual pressures can easily be calculated. The range of pressure coecient values is from +1 (stagnation pressure) to (unlimited negative pressure or suction).

Building in boundary layer ow

0.7 +0.6 +0.8 +0.7 +0.3 0.8 0.7 +0.9 +0.7 +0.5 0.6 +0.3 0.9 0.8

Building in boundary layer ow

Typical dynamic pressure coecients on windward face of building

Pressure on building faces

wind perpendicular to face

Pressure on building faces

wind @ 45 to faces

Summarizing wind pressures on buildings:

The pressure is typically positive on the windward facade, with the highest pressure being about 2/3 of the way up the facade (stagnation point). The pressure is typically negative (suction) on all other facades, as well as on a at roof. Local areas of high suction will occur at corners where most turbulence is generated.

Wind tunnel investigations

Wind tunnels are facilities which reproduce the interaction between moving air and solid objects. They permit the analysis of objects moving through air as in aircraft or vehicle studies or even people

by holding the objects stationary and moving the air.

Wind tunnel investigations

Wind tunnel investigations

closed circuit tunnel

open circuit tunnel

Wind tunnel investigations

Boundary layer wind tunnels

In order to undertake tests on buildings, rather than simulate uniform ow past an object, we need to reproduce air ow representative of the earths boundary layer. This type of tunnel is referred to as a boundary layer wind tunnel.

Traditionally wind tunnels have been used to test vehicles, typically aircraft, for various issues related to their airworthiness and drag. The craft is held stationary while air is moved past it to simulate its motion though still air.

Boundary layer wind tunnels

Various techniques are used to reproduce the earths boundary layer velocity prole open terrain upstream

Boundary layer wind tunnels

Various techniques are used to reproduce the earths boundary layer velocity prole

urban terrain upstream

Boundary layer wind tunnels

Boundary layer wind tunnels

Ground level wind ow

Ground level wind ow

The text and images used in this presentation have been obtained from a number of di erent sources. This information has been assembled speci cally for the delivery of the course CIVL 478 Building Science & the Building Enclosure, and forms an integral part of the course material which is required for examination. The presentation is intended for educational purposes only, to be used solely by students enrolled in the course. It is not to be distributed electronically or in hard copy format to any other party. Greg Johnson