Wind potential evaluation around isolated pitched roof buildings

The knowledge of wind field characteristics around buildings is very useful in a variety of applications such as energy supply by means of a domestic wind turbine. In this paper, results of a wind study around a conventional pitched roof building are given in order to choose the best location and therefore to maximize a micro-wind turbine production. Numerical results on a bluff body (cube) have been performed by means of computational fluid dynamics techniques and the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes approach has been used to model the flow. Several turbulence models coupled to different near-wall treatments have been tested and have thus allowed one to determine the optimal configuration. Numerical model validation through the experimental data available in literature has made it possible to extend the study to a cube equipped with a pitched roof. Both sets of results thus obtained have allowed one to discriminate the effects from this particular element. Some of the computed data will be given in this paper in order to highlight the most significant regions relative to wind potential for a range of wind incidence angles. Some over speed areas have been found in the vicinity of the pitched cube for low altitudes. Finally, a simple method to map wind potential around buildings is proposed and a case study is presented. It deals with wind potential estimation for an isolated pitched roof building in Valenciennes (North of France). It is shown that some areas are beneficial for a micro wind turbine installation, even close to the building. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.