Bora wind effects on common structures in the Vipava valley

dissertation

Marija Bervida (Author), Samo Stanič (Mentor), L. Patruno (Mentor)

Abstract

Strong and gusty north-east wind called Bora is common in south-west regions of Slovenia, as well as along the Adriatic coast. Its intermittent behavior, related to variable strength, frequency and duration, has brought out scientific curiosity for decades. Bora affects human life and causes problems for structures built in Bora affected areas. In Slovenia, Bora is the strongest in the Vipava valley. The motivation for this research is the need to evaluate Bora wind effects on structures, commonly found in the Vipava valley region, using a high resolution computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling approach. To date, there are several experimental and computational constraints for accurate representation of Bora in a CFD model, therefore, the main aim of this dissertation is to build foundations for Bora wind simulations using CFD and its method of finite volumes. The dissertation incorporates the analysis of experimental measurements of Bora wind, as well as numerical modeling studies. Vertical mean wind speed profile characteristics of Bora were analyzed based on experimental measurements at Razdrto just above the Vipava valley. The obtained results contributed to the choice of Bora mean wind profiles applied at the inflow of computational models. Guidelines regarding the choice of the associated wind profile parameters were given and a new relationship between these parameters was found. As orographic barriers to the north of the Vipava valley are known to give rise to Bora and to define the specific properties of the Bora flow, numerical modeling studies were in the first place focused on the implementation of the real-scale complex terrain into a CFD model. Simulation of wind flow over orographic barrier in Vipava valley was performed using Raynolds averaged Navier-Stokes approach, providing a first estimation of the flow field over a small hill of Zemono. As resolving the turbulence characteristics of Bora is very important for the estimation of wind loads on structures, modeling studies converged towards a more appropriate approach - Large eddy simulations (LES). A crucial step in setting up an accurate LES is the generation of appropriate inflow, which was investigated for the case of atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow. The synthetic method PRFG^3 for the generation of unsteady inflow was tested and adapted as a source of an ABL flow with desired turbulence flow properties. Based on its performance, in particular on adequate reproduction of target turbulence intensities and length scales, it was found that PRFG^3 method may be used to generate velocity inflow with desired turbulence properties in LES. Finally, simulations of wind flow coming from Bora direction over the Vipava valley were performed with the aim to depict the effects of underlying orography on the flow within and above the valley. Modeling results were found to be comparable with the results of lidar based remote sensing of vertical atmospheric structures within and above the valley.

Keywords

Vipava valley;Bora wind;wind profile;orography;atmospheric boundary layer;computational fluid dynamics;numerical simulations;dissertations;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2020
Typology:	2.08 - Doctoral Dissertation
Organization:	UNG FPŠ - Graduate School
Publisher:	[M. Bervida]
UDC:	551.551.3:004.94(497.473)(043.3)
COBISS:	16965635
Views:	3960
Downloads:	45
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary keywords:	orografija;burja;Vipavska dolina;vetrni profil;atmosferska mejna plast;računalniška dinamika tekočin;numerične simulacije;
URN:	URN:SI:UNG
Type (COBISS):	Doctoral dissertation
Thesis comment:	Univ. v Novi Gorici, Fak. za podiplomski študij
Pages:	XII, 138 str.
ID:	11846171