Full-scale flow visualization over a low-rise building

Abstract The separation bubble formed by flow perpendicular to a rectangular, rotatable, full-scale, low-rise building was studied using a flow visualization technique. In particular, the 2D size and interior flow structure of the separation bubble was analyzed. It was determined that the two building faces produced statistically similar separation bubble properties. When the longest of the two walls (13.7 m) was normal to the wind, the average separation bubble was 1.04 m tall and 4.42 m long. The separation bubble resulting from the shorter building face (9.1 m), normal to the wind, had an average height and length of 0.93 and 4.23 m, respectively. The two building orientations produced separation bubbles with similar interior flow structure.