Detached eddy simulation of atmospheric flow about a surface mounted cube at high Reynolds number

Modeling high Reynolds number (Re) flow is important for understanding wind loading on structures, transport and dispersion of airborne contaminants, and turbulence patterns in urban areas. This study reports a high fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulation of flow about a surface mounted cube for a Reynolds number sufficiently high to represent atmospheric flow conditions. Results from detached eddy simulations (DES) and zonal DES that compare well with field experiment data are presented. A study of reducing grid resolution indicates that further grid refinement would not make a significant difference in the flow field, adding confidence in the accuracy of the results. We additionally consider what features are captured by coarser grids. The conclusion is that these methods can produce high fidelity simulations of high Reynolds number atmospheric flow conditions with a modest grid resolution.