Question:
How does RWIND Simulation determine the pressure due to wind load on model surfaces?
Answer:
For the calculation, the program creates a solid mesh between the model and the outer sides of the wind tunnel. In this case, the solid mesh does not connect directly to the model geometry, but to a separate model wrapping mesh situated around the model geometry. This model wrapping mesh has a certain distance to the exact model geometry, depending on the model mesh setting (Simplified Model - Shrink-Wrapping-Mesh). Similar to the surrounding model wrapping mesh, the exact model geometry itself is also represented from a wrapping mesh, but on the exact model shape.
With the OpenFOAM calculation, a print result is obtained on each solid element. These values are extrapolated to the respective edge nodes at the transition to the model. To determine the final surface pressures on the model geometry, the pressures at the edge nodes of the solid mesh are transformed to the exact model wrapping mesh in a further step. If the triangular meshing of the exact model mesh geometry is too rough, the last transformation process initiates a partial refinement of the exact model wrapping mesh.