CFD for rainscreen cladding/ventilated facade
 

Hi all,

I will be soon head of a new technical department (cladding manufacturer) and i have to create my own team. I would like to propose a CFD analysis for big building projects, to architects/customers.
The goal is to optimize the windload on claddings, because there is an air gap behind the panels (30-50mm), and there is also a little opening between each panel (5-15mm), see my pictogram attached.
My wish would be to import the .step format from the architect/customer and use the CFD software with the local wind speed and see if there is a windload reduction on the cladding (pressure or succion) due to the openings. This analysis would reduce the substructure and the wall brackets, which are better for sustainability and U-value.

If somebody could tell me which sofware would be able to do this, it would be great. My main softwares are Autocad, Inventor (Autodesk CFD would be an alternative) and for FEM calcs, i use REFM (other alternative is RWIND), but i am open to every solution. Thanks for your help.

Every serious CFD code would be able to do this, but the main issue here, I guess, is introducing the minimum possible amount of pain in a workflow that is already in place and, probably involves people not as much accustomed with CFD in general.

The CFD market really has several flavours and, among them, for the reasons mentioned above, I think you should refer to those in the same family of Autodesk CFD, which are CAD based products, possibly limited in several ways with respect to more serious ones, yet fully capable of what you need and, more importantly, meant to readily integrate in your existing CAD based workflow.

Because of your initial condition I would start by inquiring Autodesk on the feasibility of using their code for what you need. Otherwise Mentor CFD is another example that comes to my mind. But others could certainly point to additional examples.

any commercial cfd code that can do RANS simulations, would be enough.


although instead of only calculating for local winds, it might be also necessary to take wind loads during storms into consideration.


internal pressure can get pretty high and tear off the cladding during high velocity storms.

Thanks both! I am happy to see that my idea is feasible and in which direction i have to go. As a first step into CFD, that’s a pretty good start!