Aeroelastic analyses of bridges using a Pseudo-3D Vortex Method and velocity-based synthetic turbulence generation

Abstract

The accurate representation of aerodynamic forces is essential for a safe, yet reasonable design of long-span bridges subjected to wind effects. In this paper, a novel extension of the Pseudo-three-dimensional Vortex Particle Method (Pseudo-3D VPM) is presented for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) buffeting analysis of line-like structures. This extension entails an introduction of free-stream turbulent fluctuations, based on the velocity-based turbulence generation. The aerodynamic response of a long-span bridge is obtained by subjecting the 3D dynamic representation of the structure to correlated free-stream turbulence in two-dimensional (2D) fluid planes, which are positioned along the bridge deck. The span-wise correlation of the free-stream turbulence between the 2D fluid planes is established based on Taylor’s hypothesis of frozen turbulence. Moreover, the application of the laminar Pseudo-3D VPM is extended to a multimode flutter analysis. Finally, the structural response from the Pseudo-3D flutter and buffeting analyses is verified with the response, computed using the semi-analytical linear unsteady model in the time-domain. Meaningful merits of the turbulent Pseudo-3D VPM with respect to the linear unsteady model are the consideration of the 2D aerodynamic nonlinearity, nonlinear fluid memory, vortex shedding and local non-stationary turbulence effects in the aerodynamic forces. The good agreement of the responses for the two models in the 3D analyses demonstrates the applicability of the Pseudo-3D VPM for aeroelastic analyses of line-like structures under turbulent and laminar free-stream conditions.