Project Overview
Update: December 2024
Researchers at Monash University's Fluids Laboratory for Aeronautical and Industrial Research (FLAIR), within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, have made significant strides in the study of structural reliability under extreme cyclonic wind conditions. This research forms part of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project LP180100234, titled "Structural Reliability of Engineering Structures in Cyclonic Winds."
Led by Professor Mark Thompson and David Burton, the project addresses critical gaps in understanding the effects of cyclonic winds—capable of gust speeds exceeding 400 km/h—on large and complex engineering structures. Such structures, including natural gas facilities, wind turbines, bridges, skyscrapers and transmission towers, often incorporate cylindrical elements or shapes that create particular challenges when predicting these extreme forces.
A Multi-Faceted Approach to Structural Reliability
The team has adopted a multi-dimensional methodology encompassing:
1. Cyclone Dynamics Modeling: Improved prediction of cyclonic occurrences and their dynamic characteristics.
2. Aerodynamic Interaction Studies: Exploration of how wind flows over rough cylindrical structures at very high Reynolds numbers, focusing on complex interactions in configurations commonly seen in critical infrastructure.
3. Innovative Testing and Simulation: Integration of advanced wind tunnel experiments and computational simulations to replicate the intricate behaviours of wind and structural interactions.
4. Refinement of Reliability Estimates: Application and comparison of findings to existing codes and standards to enhance reliability predictions and improve safety.
Key Findings and Implications
The project has yielded critical insights into turbulent wind profiles and aerodynamic forces on cylindrical structures. Highlights include:
- Unsteady Aerodynamic Behavior:Identification of flow separation and wake dynamics that increase structural loads under postcritical conditions.
- Surface Roughness Effects:Demonstration of how roughness and Reynolds numbers affects aerodynamic forces and structural loading.
- Improved Predictive Models: Development of integrated models for assessing structural vulnerability with unprecedented accuracy, balancing safety and cost-effectiveness.
These findings directly impact the resilience of multi-billion-dollar infrastructure assets in cyclone-prone regions, ensuring better safety outcomes while reducing unnecessary costs from overdesign.
Key Research Outputs
To date this research has resulted in several notable publications in leading journals with a number of others in draft or early stages of preparations, those published (or accepted) include:
- Pasam, A., Tudball Smith, D., Burton, D., & Thompson, M. C. (2024). "Aerodynamics of two rough circular cylinders placed side by side subject to postcritical flow." Physics of Fluids. (Accepted on December 3, 2024).
- Burton, D., Easanesan, G., Pasam, A., Brown, C., Tudball Smith, D., & Thompson, M. C. (2024). Post-critical flow over arrangements of multiple rough cylinders. Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics. (Accepted on 18 November 2024).
- Pasam, A., Tudball Smith, D., Holmes, J. D., Burton, D., & Thompson, M. C. (2023). "The influence of surface roughness on postcritical flow over circular cylinders revisited." Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 975, A36. [https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2023.846]
- Pasam, A., Tudball Smith, D., Burton, D., & Thompson, M. C. (2024). "Flow over two inline rough cylinders in the postcritical regime." Physics of Fluids, 36, 095145. [https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0139995]
- Pasam, A., Tudball Smith, D., Thompson, M. C., & Burton, D. (2022). Lift and drag forces on two rough circular cylinders in tandem configuration at a postcritical Reynolds number. 23rd Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference, Sydney, Australia, December 2022.
These findings directly impact the resilience of multi-billion-dollar infrastructure assets in cyclone-prone regions, ensuring better safety outcomes by enhancing our understanding of structural reliability predictions.
Looking Ahead
By combining experimental, computational, and analytical expertise, this research sets the stage for further innovation in understanding cyclonic winds and ultimately the design of robust, efficient, and reliable engineering structures. As this project comes to an end we continue to work on further publications.
Contact Information
Please direct media enquiries or requests for data to:
Professor Mark Thompson
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Monash University
Email: mark.thompson@monash.edu