Need help explaining CFD analysis on building models

[khorn06]

To start, I am a mechanical engineering undergrad and fluid dynamics is a bit of a struggle for me. Yet, I have chosen to do a research project on wind analysis around our college campus and the potential for wind energy turbines/farms. What I have done so far, using google earth, was make a model of the site, and ran a CFD analysis using ANSYS Fluent. However, for one I am not sure if I ran a proper analysis, and two I am having trouble making sense of my results.

I have been reading though countless journals trying to make sense of my results, but I find myself mindless staring at the pages. The majority of the articles are too technical for me to follow, so I am missing a lot of valuable info. Could someone help dumb down my results for me.

Below are some snapshots of my results, but you can probably get more information from my actual ANSYS project file that I have attached.

Please and Thank You.

Contours of Velocity Magnitude

Contours of Total Pressure

Contours of Turbulent Kinetic Energy

Streamlines of Wind Flow

 

[IRstuff]

While this site generally forbids student postings, you should be posting in the CFD forum. It's not particularly active, but presumably, the members there are more familiar with CFD analysis.

From my limited background, the results are basically plausible. You seem to have run a wind direction from right to left through the page. Your first picture shows wind speed increases near the buildings, as might be expected, since the air still has to get around the building, and must speed up to maintain mass flow.

Your second picture shows turbulent air behind the tall building, which is as expected, since it's unlikely that there would be laminar flow after the building disturbed the flow.

The last picture shows streamlines swirling behind the building

TTFN
faq731-376

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Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!
There is a homework forum hosted by engineering.com:

http://www.engineering.com/AskForum/aff/32.aspx

 

[BigInch]

Shortage of hilltops, or are these going on the highest roof?

 

[khorn06]

Ideally on the tops of the roofs with a VAWT

 

[BigInch]

Are they vertical turbines, or typical windmill types?
Keep them farther than 40 x the height of the object downstream to minimize vortex interferences.