Experimental and numerical study on the aerodynamic characteristics of steel tubular transmission tower bodies under skew winds

A study of the aerodynamic characteristics of circular steel tubular lattice tower bodies in an ultrahigh-voltage direct-current transmission tower under skew winds is presented. The objective of the study, which was based on experimental and numerical methods, was to investigate the aerodynamic coefficients of tower bodies under both yaw and tilt angles. Scaled rigid models of tower bodies with a scale ratio of 1:30 were tested, and the influence of the wind velocity and turbulence intensity on the aerodynamic coefficient was examined. Furthermore, a modified formula for the skewed wind load factor is proposed and compared with different standards. The aerodynamic coefficients of tower bodies with different solidity ratios and tilt angles were obtained via numerical simulation. Additionally, a recommended calculation formula of tilted wind load factor is proposed. The results show that the drag coefficients calculated by standards for different yaw angles were significantly underestimated and that the wind direction corresponding to the predicted maximum drag coefficient was inconsistent with observed wind direction. The formulas proposed in this study accurately describe the characteristics of wind load factor under different yaw and tilt angles. In particular, the influence of the tilt angle on the drag coefficient cannot be ignored. •The effect of wind velocity and turbulence intensity on the aerodynamic coefficient was investigated by wind tunnel test.•The variation of the drag coefficient with solidity ratio and tilt angle was obtained by CFD numerical simulation.•The modified calculation formulas for skewed wind load factor and tilted wind load factor were given.•The coupling influence of yaw and tilt angle on the wind load characteristics was given in the combined wind load factor.