A Single Column Model Evaluation of Mixing Length Formulations and Constraints for the sa-TKE-EDMF Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward J. Strobach
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Mixing Length ◽  
Boundary Layer Turbulence ◽  
Pbl Scheme ◽  
Mean Structure ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Planetary Boundary Layer Parameterization ◽  
A Minor

AbstractParameterizing boundary layer turbulence is a critical component of numerical weather prediction and the representation of turbulent mixing of momentum, heat, and other tracers. The components that make up a boundary layer scheme can vary considerably, with each scheme having a combination of processes that are physically represented along with tuning parameters that optimize performance. Isolating a component of a PBL scheme to examine its impact is essential for understanding the evolution of boundary layer profiles and their impact on the mean structure. In this study we conduct three experiments with the scale-aware TKE eddy-diffusivity mass-flux (sa-TKE-EDMF) scheme: 1) releasing the upper limit constraints placed on mixing lengths, 2) incrementally adjusting the tuning coefficient related to wind shear in the modified Bougeault and Lacarrere (BouLac) mixing length formulation, and 3) replacing the current mixing length formulations with those used in the MYNN scheme. A diagnostic approach is adopted to characterize the bulk representation of turbulence within the residual layer and boundary layer in order to understand the importance of different terms in the TKE budget as well as to assess how the balance of terms changes between mixing length formulations. Although our study does not seek to determine the best formulation, it was found that strong imbalances led to considerably different profile structures both in terms of the resolved and subgrid fields. Experiments where this balance was preserved showed a minor impact on the mean structure regardless of the turbulence generated. Overall, it was found that changes to mixing length formulations and/or constraints had stronger impacts during the day while remaining partially insensitive during the evening.

scholarly journals Influence of grid aspect ratio on planetary boundary layer turbulence in large-eddy simulations

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 3393-3419 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Nishizawa ◽  
H. Yashiro ◽  
Y. Sato ◽  
Y. Miyamoto ◽  
H. Tomita
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Energy Spectrum ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Planetary Boundary Layer ◽  
Temporal Integration ◽  
Mixing Length ◽  
Boundary Layer Turbulence ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Turbulent Statistics ◽  
Large Eddy

Abstract. We examine the influence of the grid aspect ratio of horizontal to vertical grid spacing on turbulence in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) in a large-eddy simulation (LES). In order to clarify and distinguish them from other artificial effects caused by numerical schemes, we used a fully compressible meteorological LES model with a fully explicit scheme of temporal integration. The influences are investigated with a series of sensitivity tests with parameter sweeps of spatial resolution and grid aspect ratio. We confirmed that the mixing length of the eddy viscosity and diffusion due to sub-grid-scale turbulence plays an essential role in reproducing the theoretical −5/3 slope of the energy spectrum. If we define the filter length in LES modeling based on consideration of the numerical scheme, and introduce a corrective factor for the grid aspect ratio into the mixing length, the theoretical slope of the energy spectrum can be obtained; otherwise, spurious energy piling appears at high wave numbers. We also found that the grid aspect ratio has influence on the turbulent statistics, especially the skewness of the vertical velocity near the top of the PBL, which becomes spuriously large with large aspect ratio, even if a reasonable spectrum is obtained.

PIV Study of Shallow Open Channel Flow Over d- and k-Type Transverse Ribs

2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (8) ◽  
pp. 1058-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Tachie ◽  
K. K. Adane
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Friction Coefficient ◽  
Skin Friction ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Open Channel ◽  
Skin Friction Coefficient ◽  
Mixing Length ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Turbulent Statistics ◽  
The Mean

A particle image velocimetry was used to study shallow open channel turbulent flow over d-type and k-type transverse ribs of square, circular, and semi-circular cross sections. The ratio of boundary layer thickness to depth of flow varied from 50% to 90%. The mean velocities and turbulent quantities were evaluated at the top plane of the ribs to characterize interaction between the cavities and overlying boundary layer. It was found that the overlying boundary layer interacts more strongly with k-type cavities than observed for d-type cavities. The profiles of the mean velocities and turbulent statistics were then spatially averaged over a pitch, and these profiles were used to study the effects of rib type and cross section on the flow field. The mean velocity gradients were found to be non-negligible across the boundary layer, and the implications of this observation for momentum transport, eddy viscosity, and mixing length distributions are discussed. The results show that the skin friction coefficient, Reynolds stresses and mixing length distributions are independent of rib cross section for d-type. For the k-type ribs, significant variations in skin friction coefficient values, mean flow, and turbulence fields are observed between square ribs and circular/semi-circular ribs.

scholarly journals Evaluation of PBL Parameterizations in WRF at Subkilometer Grid Spacings: Turbulence Statistics in the Dry Convective Boundary Layer

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 1161-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeyum Hailey Shin ◽  
Jimy Dudhia
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Mass Flux ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
Turbulence Statistics ◽  
Convective Boundary ◽  
Large Eddies ◽  
Horizontal Grid

Abstract Planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations in mesoscale models have been developed for horizontal resolutions that cannot resolve any turbulence in the PBL, and evaluation of these parameterizations has been focused on profiles of mean and parameterized flux. Meanwhile, the recent increase in computing power has been allowing numerical weather prediction (NWP) at horizontal grid spacings finer than 1 km, at which kilometer-scale large eddies in the convective PBL are partly resolvable. This study evaluates the performance of convective PBL parameterizations in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model at subkilometer grid spacings. The evaluation focuses on resolved turbulence statistics, considering expectations for improvement in the resolved fields by using the fine meshes. The parameterizations include four nonlocal schemes—Yonsei University (YSU), asymmetric convective model 2 (ACM2), eddy diffusivity mass flux (EDMF), and total energy mass flux (TEMF)—and one local scheme, the Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) level-2.5 model. Key findings are as follows: 1) None of the PBL schemes is scale-aware. Instead, each has its own best performing resolution in parameterizing subgrid-scale (SGS) vertical transport and resolving eddies, and the resolution appears to be different between heat and momentum. 2) All the selected schemes reproduce total vertical heat transport well, as resolved transport compensates differences of the parameterized SGS transport from the reference SGS transport. This interaction between the resolved and SGS parts is not found in momentum. 3) Those schemes that more accurately reproduce one feature (e.g., thermodynamic transport, momentum transport, energy spectrum, or probability density function of resolved vertical velocity) do not necessarily perform well for other aspects.

Some dynamical effects of heat on a turbulent boundary layer

1970 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 361-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. I. H. Nicholl
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Turbulent Energy ◽  
Strong Discontinuity ◽  
Sudden Increase ◽  
Boundary Layer Turbulence ◽  
Heated Air ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
The Mean

The dynamical effects of a sudden increase of as much as 100°C in boundary temperature upon fully turbulent boundary layers at low Reynolds numbers in air have been investigated in a wind tunnel. A section of the floor or the roof of the tunnel could be heated, so that the rate of working of gravitational forces on the turbulence could be made to represent either a gain or a loss of turbulent mechanical energy. Techniques of hot-wire anemometry were employed which enabled the instantaneous temperature and the instantaneous velocity to be measured simultaneously at a point in the non-homogeneous turbulent flow field.In the case of a strong discontinuity in the floor temperature, a fine-scale convective structure developed from the highly unstable interface between the heated air just above the surface and the turbulent boundary layer; and the motion in this region was sufficiently vigorous that the mean pressure in the vicinity of the floor was reduced and a local wall jet was generated. The deduced pressure distribution is regarded as evidence of coupling between the free and forced convection modes which may lead to a series of local wall jets downstream of the discontinuity.In the case of a strong discontinuity in the roof temperature, the interface between the heated air and the turbulent boundary layer was stable; and the boundary-layer turbulence, acting to spread this stable gradient over the vertical extent of the boundary layer, was required to do work against the gravitational field. A rate of working against gravity which was an order of magnitude less than the rate of supply of turbulent energy from the mean shear proved sufficient to suppress the turbulence in a very short time.

scholarly journals Influence on the Temperature Estimation by the Planetary Boundary Layer Scheme with Different Minimum Eddy Diffusivity in WRF v3.9.1.1

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyi Ding ◽  
Le Cao ◽  
Haimei Jiang ◽  
Wenxing Jia ◽  
Yong Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Planetary Boundary Layer ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Mountain Areas ◽  
Temperature Estimation ◽  
Temperature Deviation ◽  
Stable Conditions ◽  
Pbl Scheme ◽  
Boundary Layer Scheme

Abstract. The minimum eddy diffusivity (Kzmin) in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme is able to influence the performance of the model in simulating meteorological parameters such as the temperature. However, detailed studies on the sensitivities of the simulated temperature to the settings of Kzmin are still lacking. Thus, in this study, we evaluated the performance of the ACM2 (Asymmetrical Convective Model, version 2) scheme in the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model with different settings of Kzmin, in simulating the spatiotemporal distribution of the temperature in the region of Beijing, China. Five constant values as well as a function were implemented in the model to calculate Kzmin, and the simulation results with different settings of Kzmin were compared and analyzed. The results show that the increase of Kzmin leads to an elevation of the 2-m temperature, especially in the nighttime. We figured out that the deviation of the 2-m temperature at night is mainly caused by the different estimation of the turbulent mixing under stable conditions in simulation scenarios with different Kzmin settings. Moreover, the spatial distribution of the temperature deviation indicates that under various underlying surface categories, the change of Kzmin exerts a different influence on the prediction of the 2-m temperature, and the influence was found stronger during the nighttime than during the daytime, in plain areas than in mountain areas, in urban areas than in non-urban areas. In the nighttime of the urban areas, the influence on the simulated 2-m temperature brought about by the change of Kzmin was found the strongest. In addition, we found that the implementation of a functional type Kzmin in the ACM2 scheme helps to improve the performance of the model in capturing the diurnal change and the vertical distribution of the temperature in this region, compared with that using a constant Kzmin.

Improving the Representation of Subtropical Boundary Layer Clouds in the NASA GEOS Model with the Eddy-Diffusivity/Mass-Flux Parameterization

2021 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-809
Author(s):  
Kay Suselj ◽  
Joao Teixeira ◽  
Marcin J. Kurowski ◽  
Andrea Molod
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Mass Flux ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Cumulus Clouds ◽  
Boundary Layer Clouds ◽  
Stratocumulus Clouds ◽  
Pbl Scheme ◽  
Flux Parameterization ◽  
Flux Model

AbstractA systematic underestimation of subtropical planetary boundary layer (PBL) stratocumulus clouds by the GEOS model has been significantly improved by a new eddy-diffusivity/mass-flux (EDMF) parameterization. The EDMF parameterization represents the subgrid-scale transport in the dry and moist parts of the PBL in a unified manner and it combines an adjusted eddy-diffusivity PBL scheme from GEOS with a stochastic multiplume mass-flux model. The new EDMF version of the GEOS model is first compared against the CONTROL version in a single-column model (SCM) framework for two benchmark cases representing subtropical stratocumulus and shallow cumulus clouds, and validated against large-eddy simulations. Global simulations are performed and compared against observations and reanalysis data. The results show that the EDMF version of the GEOS model produces more realistic subtropical PBL clouds. The EDMF improvements first detected in the SCM framework translate into similar improvements of the global GEOS model.

A Reduced-Order Model of the Mean Properties of a Turbulent Wall Boundary Layer at a Zero Pressure Gradient

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Xu ◽  
Zvi Rusak ◽  
Luciano Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Shear Stress ◽  
Reynolds Shear Stress ◽  
Streamwise Velocity ◽  
Similarity Function ◽  
Mixing Length ◽  
Flow Properties ◽  
Normal Coordinate ◽  
Streamwise Location ◽  
The Mean

A novel two-equations model for computing the flow properties of a spatially-developing, incompressible, zero-pressure-gradient, turbulent boundary layer over a smooth, flat wall is developed. The mean streamwise velocity component inside the boundary layer is described by the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation where the Reynolds shear stress is given by an extended mixing-length model. The nondimensional form of the mixing length is described by a polynomial function in terms of the nondimensional wall normal coordinate. Moreover, a stream function approach is applied with a leading-order term described by a similarity function. Two ordinary differential equations are derived for the solution of the similarity function along the wall normal coordinate and for its streamwise location. A numerical integration scheme of the model equations is developed and enables the solution of flow properties. The coefficients of the mixing-length polynomial function are modified at each streamwise location as part of solution iterations to satisfy the wall and far-field boundary conditions and adjust the local boundary layer thickness, δ99.4, to a location where streamwise speed is 99.4% of the far-field streamwise velocity. The elegance of the present approach is established through the successful solution of the various flow properties across the boundary layer (i.e., mean streamwise velocity, viscous stress, Reynolds shear stress, skin friction coefficient, and growth rate of boundary layer among others) from the laminar regime all the way to the fully turbulent regime. It is found that results agree with much available experimental data and direct numerical simulations for a wide range of Reθ based on the momentum thickness (Reθ) from 15 up to 106, except for the transition region from laminar to turbulent flow. Furthermore, results shed light on the von Kármán constant as a function of Reθ, the possible four-layer nature of the mean streamwise velocity profile, the universal profiles of the streamwise velocity and the Reynolds shear stress at high Reθ, and the scaling laws at the outer region.

Response of a turbulent boundary layer to sinusoidal free-stream unsteadiness

1990 ◽  
Vol 221 ◽  
pp. 131-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Brereton ◽  
W. C. Reynolds ◽  
R. Jayaraman
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Turbulent Boundary Layer ◽  
Steady Flow ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Constant Pressure ◽  
External Conditions ◽  
Mean Structure ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Turbulence Production

In this paper, selected findings of a detailed experimental investigation are reported concerning the effects of forced free-stream unsteadiness on a turbulent boundary layer. The forced unsteadiness was sinusoidal and was superimposed locally on an otherwise-steady mainstream, beyond a turbulent boundary layer which had developed under constant-pressure conditions. Within the region over which free-stream unsteadiness was induced, the sinusoidal variation in pressure gradient was between extremes of zero and a positive value, with a positive average level. The local response of the boundary layer to these free-stream effects was studied through simultaneous measurements of the u- and v-components of the velocity fieldAlthough extensive studies of unsteady, turbulent, fully-developed pipe and channel flow have been carried out, the problem of a developing turbulent boundary layer and its response to forced free-stream unsteadiness has received comparatively little attention. The present study is intended to redress this imbalance and, when contrasted with other studies of unsteady turbulent boundary layers, is unique in that: (i) it features an appreciable amplitude of mainstream modulation at a large number of frequencies of forced unsteadiness, (ii) its measurements are both detailed and of high spatial resolution, so that the near-wall behaviour of the flow can be discerned, and (iii) it allows local modulation of the mainstream beyond a turbulent boundary layer which has developed under the well-known conditions of steady, two-dimensional, constant-pressure flowResults are reported which allow comparison of the behaviour of boundary layers under the same mean external conditions, but with different time dependence in their free-stream velocities. These time dependences correspond to: (i) steady flow, (ii) quasi-steadily varying flow, and (iii) unsteady flow at different frequencies of mainstream unsteadiness. Experimental results focus upon the time-averaged nature of the flow; they indicate that the mean structure of the turbulent boundary layer is sufficiently robust that the imposition of free-stream unsteadiness results only in minor differences relative to the mean character of the steady flow, even at frequencies for which the momentary condition of the flow departs substantially from its quasi-steady state. Mean levels of turbulence production are likewise unaffected by free-stream unsteadiness and temporal production of turbulence appears to result only from modulation of the motions which contribute to turbulence production as a time-averaged measure.

scholarly journals Eddy Diffusivity/Mass Flux and Shallow Cumulus Boundary Layer: An Updraft PDF Multiple Mass Flux Scheme

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1513-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay Sušelj ◽  
João Teixeira ◽  
Georgios Matheou
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Mass Flux ◽  
Eddy Diffusivity ◽  
Cloud Base ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Moist Convection ◽  
Boundary Layer Turbulence ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Shallow Cumulus ◽  
Base Closure

Abstract In this study, the eddy diffusivity/mass flux (EDMF) approach is used to combine parameterizations of nonprecipitating moist convection and boundary layer turbulence. The novel aspect of this EDMF version is the use of a probability density function (PDF) to describe the moist updraft characteristics. A single bulk dry updraft is initialized at the surface and integrated vertically. At each model level, the possibility of condensation within the updraft is considered based on the PDF of updraft moist conserved variables. If the updraft partially condenses, it is split into moist and dry updrafts, which are henceforth integrated separately. The procedure is repeated at each of the model levels above. The single bulk updraft ends up branching into numerous moist and dry updrafts. With this new approach, the need to define a cloud-base closure is circumvented. This new version of EDMF is implemented in a single-column model (SCM) and evaluated using large-eddy simulation (LES) results for the Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological Experiment (BOMEX) representing steady-state convection over ocean and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) case representing time-varying convection over land. The new EDMF scheme is able to represent the properties of shallow cumulus and turbulent fluxes in cumulus-topped boundary layers realistically. The parameterized updraft properties partly account for the behavior of the tail of the PDF of moist conserved variables. It is shown that the scheme is not particularly sensitive to the vertical resolution of the SCM or the main model parameters.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document