Numerical simulation and analysis of outdoor wind environment in a high-rise community with matrix layout model based on computational fluid dynamics

The wind environment is an important factor affecting the comfort of the outdoor environment in high-rise residential communities. The numerical simulation of ventilation situation in the outdoor environment could provide scientific bases for the design of various elements in a community, including space layout, roads, activity spaces, water system, and plants. Taking the Changqingteng community, Xinxiang as the object, this paper numerically simulates the wind environment in summer, winter, and the transition season on THSware VENT2018, and analyzes the wind speed amplification factors, wind speed vector diagrams, and wind speed cloud maps on the outdoor environment of the community. The results show that both wind speed and wind speed amplification factor fall into the comfortable ranges in most places of the community throughout the year. In summer, only a few windless activity spaces are uncomfortable on hot and humid days. In winter, multiple wind corridors appear in the north of the community. These corridors greatly suppress the comfort of residents, owing to their fast wind speed and large wind speed amplification factor. The following measures could be taken to optimize the outdoor environment of the community: adding leisure spaces around the water system to improve comfort in summer, and setting up wind barriers by planting dense evergreen plants between the buildings on the north side to improve comfort in winter. © 2021, Saudi Society for Geosciences.