SimCenter Aerodynamic Database

Contains a python script for preparing, searching and post-processing aerodynamic database for buildings. The database holds pressure time-series measured at points(taps) distributed over the building surface. The aerodynamic data set can be:

• Experimetal measurment
• CFD simulation (i.e., LES)
• Full-scale feild measurment

Data structure

The aerodynamicDatabaseLib.py is a python library to save and retrive any database entry. The core class of the library is the WindLoadData class which contains all the atributes of a database entry. The library also holds HighRiseData and LowRiseDatathat implement fuctions for manipulating wind load data for high-rise and low-rise buildings, respectively.

The database is saved into JSON file format. Each database entry is stored using two associated files. The first file ends with "_info.json" and contains main atributes of the database entry, which include the building geometry, wind characterstics, data type, unit system, etc. The HighRiseData class has a function implemented to write this file for high rise building. Typical "_info.json" file for aerodynamic database looks like this:

{
windSpeed:		10.6924
width:			0.2
depth:			0.1
height:			0.3
heightToWidth:		1.5
widthToDepth:		2
duration:	        32
timeUnit:	        "sec"
lengthUnit:		"m"
samplingRate:		1000
windDirection:		0
exposureType:		"Open"
roughnessLength:	0.03
dataType:	        "CFD"
fileName:	        "HR_CFD_1.50_2.00_0.00_0.030"
}

The other file ends with just ".json" and holds all the information "_info.json" file contains and additional data about measurment locations and the actual pressure time-series. This file is usually big and the "_info.json" is used instead for searching purpose.

Database entry naming

Each database entry is named based on the following convention. The name contains building type (high-rise or low-rise), data type (experiment, CFD or field), height to width ratio, width to depth ratio, wind direction, aerodynamic roughness length (z0). For example HR_CFD_4_1.5_90_0.03 represents a high-rise building aerodynamic database extracted from CFD simulation with height/width and width/depth ratio of 4 and 1.5 for 90 degree wind direction in a terrain having 0.03 m aerodynamic roughness height.

Searching the database

For searching a particular entry in the database, generally the following information is required:

• Building type (high-rise or low-rise)
• Height to width ratio
• Width to depth ratio
• Wind direction
• Exposure condition i.e. aerodynamic roughness length (z0)

Future work needed

The current capability of the aerodynamic database is very limitted. Future work is needed to enhance its capability in the following key directions:

• Populate the database with more data (both experimetal and CFD). Performing CFD simulations variying different parameters listed above seem a feasible direction.
• Implement database interpolation technique for cases that can not be found in the database. This requires developing interpolation scheme based on devreduced order modeling or machine learning techniques.