S17 Francesco Ciriello

Biomimicry in Structural Engineering: A Load Bearing Duct

Francesco Ciriello,1 Dr. M. A. Wadee,1 Prof. G. R. Hunt,2
1Department

of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London,

2Department

of Engineering, University of Cambridge

Integrating Structural & Ventilation Strategies

The Tall Emptying Box Model

Biomimicry is an emerging science that seeks technological inspiration

via analogies to the behaviour of living systems (Yiatros et al. 2007). The
review and application of the philosophical aspects that pertain to the
field of biomimicry, as applied to the context of sustainable architecture,
has made us, among other things, decide to explore an innovative idea:
that of taking advantage of the typically hollow form and stack height of
columns to provide natural ventilation services to a building.

The upper limit to the optimal number of stack ventilation systems was
found to be provided by the dynamics via which buoyant fluid enters the
duct. A model was proposed based on an extension of Linden et al.s
(1990) classical displacement flow model and Barnetts (1990) work on tall
filling boxes. The modelling framework was set out via analysing the effect
of container aspect ratio on filling box processes containing a central
buoyant source (see Figure 3). For boxes of low aspect ratio, successive
levels of stratification are formed in the upper regions. Upon increasing the
slenderness of the container, overturning of buoyant fluid is observed owing
to the increase in momentum flux as the spreading flow hits the sidewalls.
For sufficiently tall boxes, the radius of the plume will eventually approach
that of the container, resulting in a complete breakdown of its structure.

FIGURE 1

An appreciation of the connection

between form (geometry) and
function (behaviour regimes) for a
multifunctional
component
was
identified as a good starting place
for an exploration in integrated
structural and ventilation strategies.
An elemental study was performed
upon cylindrical hollow shells to
understand, via simple models, how
buoyancy driven flows behaved
within them. To address issues of
resource allocation, a thought
experiment was proposed where the
performance of equal amounts of
material is assessed by dividing a
single duct into multiple segments,
resulting in a variation of aspect
ratio upon comparison.

Preliminary Analysis
A series of idealised cases of natural convection within the load bearing
duct element were examined. Initially, a simple model was examined of a
vertical circular pipe, full of buoyant fluid and surrounded by cooler,
denser ambient fluid, with an opening at each end (see Figure 2). The
results of the study showed that:
1. Using a larger number of independent stack ventilation systems
results in higher total volume fluxes for a fixed amount of material.

FIGURE 3

stable stratifications

overturning
1

plume breakdown
4

The breaking regime

The breakdown of the plume forms a uniformly mixed layer of constant
thickness, which in turn convects buoyant fluid in the upper regions of the
container. At steady state, for a vented box, the upper regions fills with
buoyant fluid of reduced gravity corresponding to the plumes reduced
gravity at breakdown level (see Figure 4). For a range of opening areas, the
temperature in the interior does not respond; and opening or closing vents
has no influence on the internal temperature.

FIGURE 4
The breaking regime translates to the
implication that, for a sufficiently tall
box containing a heat source at floor
level, the temperatures within the
upper regions will depend solely on the
buoyancy flux that the heat source
generates; suggesting that designers
can
achieve
better
control
of
environmental
conditions
by
constricting the flow geometrically.

2. Modelling minor head losses via the Darcy Weisbach formula,

= / 2 /2, showed that the variation of friction with aspect
ratio had little influence on total volume fluxes.

FIGURE 2

The result provides future grounds for

more resilient and controllable natural
ventilation systems; and highlights the
potential role biomimicry can have in
the development of new technologies
in engineering disciplines.

REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to Dr. M.A. Wadee (Imperial College London) and
Professor G.R. Hunt (University of Cambridge) for their valuable help
during the supervision of this dissertation. I would also like to thank
friends and family for their support throughout these past few years.

Barnett, J. S. (1990) The Dynamics of Buoyant Releases in Confined

Spaces. PhD Thesis. University of Cambridge.
Linden, P., Lane-Serff, G. & Smeed, D. (1990) Emptying filling boxes: the
fluid mechanics of natural ventilation. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 212, 309335.
Yiatros, S., Wadee, M. A. & Hunt, G. R. (2007) The load-bearing duct:
Biomimicry in structural design. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil
Engineers: Engineering Sustainability. 160 (4), 179-188.