A Report on Validation and Mesh Sensitivity Analysis of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Models

This document details the validation and mesh sensitivity analyses of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models used to estimate hydraulic pressure around aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) subjected to storm surge and wave loads. The validation study is based on experimental results from Bernier et al. (2020) on representative aboveground storage tanks subjected to surge and wave loads at the O. H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory (HWRL) at Oregon State University. Results of the validation process showed good agreement between the pressure time history from developed CFD models and the experimental results. Mesh convergence analysis was also performed for full-scale CFD models to identify a computationally efficient mesh size. All CFD analyses performed in this study were run in parallel, leveraging high-performance computing (HPC) resources from TACC (Texas Advanced Computing Center) and the NOTS cluster (operated by Rice University's Center for Research Computing).

The validated CFD models were developed to assess load-modification effects from neighboring structures. A three-structure layout configuration is selected (with two ASTs on the upstream row and one on the downstream row) to capture the load-modification effects when structural layout follows a lattice pattern. The feasibility of this configuration for capturing the demand-modification effects of neighboring structures was also tested and presented in the document. The three-structure layout was found to sufficiently preserve hydraulic demand without compromising reliability in load estimation. Hence, these CFD models were used to propose a framework for deriving a parameterized fragility model for a coastal structural portfolio, accounting for the effects of neighboring structures.