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We present computational flow analysis of a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) that has been proposed to also serve as a tsunami shelter. In addition to the three-blade rotor, the turbine has four support columns at the periphery. The columns support the turbine rotor and the shelter. Computational challenges encountered in flow analysis of wind turbines in general include accurate representation of the turbine geometry, multiscale unsteady flow, and moving-boundary flow associated with the rotor motion. The tsunami-shelter VAWT, because of its rather high geometric complexity, poses the additional challenge of reaching high accuracy in turbine-geometry representation and flow solution when the geometry is so complex. We address the challenges with a space–time (ST) computational method that integrates three special ST methods around the core, ST Variational Multiscale (ST-VMS) method, and mesh generation and improvement methods. The three special methods are the ST Slip Interface (ST-SI) method, ST Isogeometric Analysis (ST-IGA), and the ST/NURBS Mesh Update Method (STNMUM). The ST-discretization feature of the integrated method provides higher-order accuracy compared to standard discretization methods. The VMS feature addresses the computational challenges associated with the multiscale nature of the unsteady flow. The moving-mesh feature of the ST framework enables high-resolution computation near the blades. The ST-SI enables moving-mesh computation of the spinning rotor. The mesh covering the rotor spins with it, and the SI between the spinning mesh and the rest of the mesh accurately connects the two sides of the solution. The ST-IGA enables more accurate representation of the blade and other turbine geometries and increased accuracy in the flow solution. The STNMUM enables exact representation of the mesh rotation. A general-purpose NURBS mesh generation method makes it easier to deal with the complex turbine geometry. The quality of the mesh generated with this method is improved with a mesh relaxation method based on fiber-reinforced hyperelasticity and optimized zero-stress state. We present computations for the 2D and 3D cases. The computations show the effectiveness of our ST and mesh generation and relaxation methods in flow analysis of the tsunami-shelter VAWT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tsunami shelter has been designed and built as a refuges in case tsunami occurs. In recent year, different kinds of tsunami shelter have been proposed and developed, which is either a building type or a floating one. The main purpose of this research is to propose a new type of tsunami shelter with elastic mooring in comparison with a fixed type of shelter and to investigate tsunami force acting on the shelter and motions due to tsunami wave. Three different kinds of tsunami shelter were compared, rectangular, trapezoid and streamline type, with two conditions such as fixed on the ground and floating with elastic mooring. To compute interaction between run-up tsunami wave and the tsunami shelters with mooring, the numerical model has been developed by using particle based method, Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic (SPH) coupling with Extended Discrete Element Method (EDEM) for elastic mooring. Based on the validation of tsunami force and shelter motions with experimental results, the numerical results indicated that the model can simulate interactions between tsunami wave and shelter in fixed and mooring case. The result also shows that the tsunami force on the fixed tsunami shelter can be higher than that on the tsunami shelter with elastic mooring and then the mooring system can reduce tsunami force, 35% for averaged value and 50% for maximum one and the surge and pitch motions can be also reduced. The tsunami shelter with elastic mooring system could be a useful option for evacuating from tsunami attacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tsunami shelters are of great importance to mitigate casualties by earthquake-induced killer waves, and the design guidelines for their practical design are recently developed by a task committee under the Japanese Cabinet Office, since great earthquakes significantly affecting coastal regions are expected to occur in the near future in Japan. Although they propose a practical design formula to calculate tsunami loads acting on shelters, it is derived primarily based on laboratory tests with scaled models but not on damage observations. It is therefore essential to examine the design loads through comparison between observed damage and structural strength. In December 2004, a huge scale Sumatra Earthquake caused extensive and catastrophic damage to 12 countries in the Indian Ocean. The author visited Sri Lanka and Thailand to survey structural damage due to tsunami, and investigated the relationship between damage to structures, lateral strengths computed based on their member properties, and observed tsunami heights. In the survey, 28 simple structures generally found in the affected coastal regions were investigated. The investigated results show that the design tsunami loads proposed in the guidelines are found rational to avoid serious damage but may not be conservative if the load amplification due to drifting debris is taken into account.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 8 or 9 is predicted to occur near the Ryukyu Islands in Japan, for which the Okinawa Prefecture is preparing countermeasures. Evacuating people to a safe shelter within the tsunami arrival time is a crucial countermeasure. This study aims to understand the vulnerabilities of patients with chronic respiratory diseases in southern parts of Okinawa during a tsunami evacuation, thereby calculating evacuation distance of vulnerable patients and creating individual evacuation plans. Data for chronic respiratory patients obtained in July 2021 from the hospitals in Okinawa Prefecture include age, gender, diagnosis, residence, nearest tsunami shelter, oxygen flow at rest and walking, and maximum walking distance for 6 min based on a 6-min walk test. A quantum geographic information system was used for mapping the data. The survival potential of patients with chronic respiratory disease was evaluated by using a tsunami inundation depth of one meter and the distance within which an evacuation can be performed until the first tsunami wave reaches the nearest evacuation shelter. Results revealed a low survival potential for respiratory disease patients under the current tsunami evacuation plan. The study suggests creating an individual evacuation plan for vulnerable patients involving families and medical staff and then conducting a drill for improving the plan.