CFD study of flow over parallel ridges with varying height and spacing

A CFD study is performed for a two-dimensional model to simulate and investigate the turbulent flow interactions between three parallel ridges. Velocity profiles and turbulent kinetic energies are presented to illustrate the effects of varying the ridge height and separation distance. The numerical results are validated against extensive atmospheric wind tunnel data obtained from USEPA. Studies on different mesh configurations and inbuilt Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models shows that the standard k-ε model predicts the flow field most accurately in relation to the TKE. General flow patterns involve flow separation in the windward corners and recirculation behind each ridge. An amplification of the velocity and TKE are observed as the ridge height increases, whereas larger separations result in lower velocities and significant variation in downwind TKE values.