Pressure coefficient distributions on Hyperbolic Paraboloid membranes by Numerical Fluid-Structure Interaction

Abstract Most studies, standards, and codes on wind pressure distributions commonly disregard the influence of the flexibility of structures. Nevertheless, in the case of tensile-membrane structures, their flexibility cannot be ignored, so this study presents the results of numerical simulations evaluating wind pressure coefficient distributions on tensile-membrane structures, accounting for fluid-structure interaction (FSI) choosing the most common geometry: the hyperbolic paraboloid. Various curvature configurations, wind incidence directions, and structural models (both open and enclosed) were analyzed. The FSI solution involves a two-way partitioned simulation between Computational Fluid Dynamics, Computational Structural Dynamics and through a coupling system that culminates in the derivation of final pressure coefficient distributions. Results indicate that pressure coefficients obtained for rigid models underestimate those obtained by the FSI methodology, which accounts for deformations altering the interaction between the fluid and membrane.