The objective of the present work is to compare the characterization of the local scale winds through different techniques of numerical modeling of the atmosphere. We compared four numerical methods to simulate the flow over a complex terrain, namely: CFD RANS with k-ε and k-ω (WindSim), simple mass conserving (WindMap), and refined mesoscale (SiteWind). The mentioned tools are very frequently utilized in the wind industry, and for this reason they have been selected. In this terrain, we had data availability from five meteorological masts during measurement periods that comprised 1.5 to 2 years. To ensure a free tendency analysis, equivalent settings have been used in the microscale models, with steady state, incompressible flow and neutrally stratified atmosphere conditions. Non-negligible differences are found on the spatial distribution of the winds simulated by the different models. Qualitatively, this disagreement hampers the decision-making. The five meteorological masts inside the area are important for adjusting and for checking the model, but they are not enough to categorically claim the superiority of accuracy of one model over the others. Nonetheless, these measurements provide us an indicative that the refined mesoscale model was able to better represent the wind acceleration in the studied region.
Numerical Modeling of Dust Propagation in the Atmosphere of a City with Complex Terrain. The Case of Background Eastern Light Air
