Turbulence Models Studying the Airflow around a Greenhouse Based in a Wind Tunnel and Under Different Conditions

Abstract

Turbulence phenomena created around a greenhouse due to different wind loads are key factors in its structural design and significantly affect the ventilation rates through its side and roof openings. Using the turbulence models of ANSYS FLUENT software to investigate the airflow around an arched-roof-greenhouse-shaped obstacle placed inside a wind tunnel was the aim of this study. Velocity and pressure areas around the obstacle were examined by selecting three different turbulence models (Standard, RNG and Realizable k–ε models) under three different airflow entry velocities (0.34, 1.00 and 10.00 m s−1) in the wind tunnel. All k–ε models showed that when the air velocity was intensified, the airflow was identified as turbulent. The horizontal velocity profile predicted more accurately the presence of vortices in contrast with the vector sum of the perpendicular velocity components. Vortices were formed upstream, above the roof and downstream of the obstacle, and the applied models showed that when airflow velocity increases, the size of the upstream vortex decreases. Finally, there was a strong indication from the modeling results that the vortex on the roof of the obstacle was an extension of the vortex that was created downstream.