Investigation of Wind-Loads Acting on Low-Aspect-Ratio Cylindrical Structures Based on a Wind Tunnel Test

The low-aspect-ratio cylindrical structures represented by oil tanks is a kind of wind sensitive structure, which is prone to buckling under wind-loads. A wind tunnel test was conducted to investigate the properties of wind-loads acting on smooth cylinders with an aspect ratio AR = 0.323 and 0.875, respectively. Some parameters, such as Reynolds number (Re) and turbulence intensity, were taken into account. The results reveal that low-aspect-ratio cylinders have a Re effect, and the effect rises with AR. AR is the main factor affecting the value of the base pressure coefficient and positive pressure range, and the former increases with AR, while the latter decreases with AR. Moreover, due to the influence of the free end and turbulence, which may suppress vortex shedding, the power spectrum of the lift coefficient essentially shows broad spectral peaks with Re and turbulence. Increasing the incoming turbulence made the flow round cylinders at a higher Re state, that is, the supercritical regime is reached at a smaller Re. When turbulence is greater than 4.0%, turbulence and Re have little effect on the mean base force coefficient of low-aspect-ratio cylinders.