Wind Aerodynamics and Related Energy Potential of Urban High-Rise Vertical Farms

Abstract

AbstractThis paper presents the development of a benchmark vertical farm that could potentially enable the sustainable development of urban and rural areas. The investigation seeks to tackle global issues linked to sustainability development goals such as zero hunger, affordable clean energy, industry innovation and infrastructure, amongst others. Vertical farms enable plant-friendly environments in urban skyscrapers through agricultural techniques, often identified as consuming large amounts of energy. These facilities could be fully embedded into urban planning as clean energy sources such as solar and wind are fully utilised. This paper scrutinises the potential for wind energy utilisation in a vertical farm with different planting corridor widths. The study also seeks to clarify the potential for energy harvesting by identifying suitable micro wind turbines installed in the façade and roof. The vertical farm prototype is elliptical and has a total height of 108 m, 80 m width, and 60 m chord. This paper studied the prototype with corridor widths of 3 m, 4 m, 5 m, and 6 m, respectively. The maximum inlet wind speed was defined as 20 m/s, and the atmospheric boundary layer condition was applied to simulate an urban wind environment and observe the aerodynamics of the farm. The results showed that the benchmark building with a corridor of 5m-width has the best potential for wind energy harvesting, particularly when the wind turbines are located on the roof.