scholarly journals A Multi-Layer Model for Transpiration of Urban Trees Considering Vertical Structure

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1164
Author(s):  
Seok Hwan Yun ◽  
Chae Yeon Park ◽  
Eun Sub Kim ◽  
Dong Kun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Transpiration Rate ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
High Density ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Constant Density ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
Building Height ◽  
Vertical Leaf ◽  
Physiological Processes

As the intensity of the urban heat island effect increases, the cooling effect of urban trees has become important. Urban trees cool surfaces during the day via shading, increasing albedo and transpiration. Many studies are being conducted to calculate the transpiration rate; however, most approaches are not suitable for urban trees and oversimplify plant physiological processes. We propose a multi-layer model for the transpiration of urban trees, accounting for plant physiological processes and considering the vertical structure of trees and buildings. It has been expanded from an urban canopy model to accurately simulate the photosynthetically active radiation and leaf surface temperature. To evaluate how tree and surrounding building conditions affect transpiration, we simulated the transpiration of trees in different scenarios such as building height (i.e., 1H, 2H and 3H, H = 12 m), tree location (i.e., south tree and north tree in a E-W street), and vertical leaf area density (LAD) (i.e., constant density, high density with few layers, high density in middle layers, and high density in lower layers). The transpiration rate was estimated to be more sensitive to the building height and tree location than the LAD distribution. Transpiration-efficient trees differed depending on the surrounding condition and plant location. This model is a useful tool that provides guidelines on the planting of thermo-efficient trees depending on the structure or environment of the city.

A multi-layer model for nonlinear internal wave propagation in shallow water

2012 ◽  
Vol 695 ◽  
pp. 341-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip L.-F. Liu ◽  
Xiaoming Wang
Keyword(s):  
Wave Propagation ◽  
Internal Wave ◽  
Shallow Water ◽  
Internal Waves ◽  
Bottom Topography ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Constant Density ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
Fluid System ◽  
Nonlinear Internal Wave

AbstractIn this paper, a multi-layer model is developed for the purpose of studying nonlinear internal wave propagation in shallow water. The methodology employed in constructing the multi-layer model is similar to that used in deriving Boussinesq-type equations for surface gravity waves. It can also be viewed as an extension of the two-layer model developed by Choi & Camassa. The multi-layer model approximates the continuous density stratification by an $N$-layer fluid system in which a constant density is assumed in each layer. This allows the model to investigate higher-mode internal waves. Furthermore, the model is capable of simulating large-amplitude internal waves up to the breaking point. However, the model is limited by the assumption that the total water depth is shallow in comparison with the wavelength of interest. Furthermore, the vertical vorticity must vanish, while the horizontal vorticity components are weak. Numerical examples for strongly nonlinear waves are compared with laboratory data and other numerical studies in a two-layer fluid system. Good agreement is observed. The generation and propagation of mode-1 and mode-2 internal waves and their interactions with bottom topography are also investigated.

Application of Crack Layer in Modeling of Slow Crack Growth in High-Density Polyethylene

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiying Zhang ◽  
Zhenwen Zhou ◽  
Alexander Chudnovsky
Keyword(s):  
Crack Growth ◽  
High Density Polyethylene ◽  
Slow Crack Growth ◽  
Growth Failure ◽  
High Density ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
Crack Layer ◽  
Basic Parameters ◽  
Engineering Polymers

Crack layer model provides a comprehensive foundation for modeling of fracture growth, failure analysis, and lifetime prediction. During the past two decades, it has been widely applied for modeling various aspects of brittle fracture in general. This paper illustrates in details the procedure of implementation by an example of slow crack growth in a commercialized high-density polyethylene undergoing creep conditions. Firstly, we determine experimentally the basic parameters employed in constitutive equations of crack layer model such as draw ratio λ, the specific energy of transformation γtr, and drawing stress σdr, etc.. Secondly, we implement crack layer model numerically in lab-developed “Simulator”. The paper provides a paradigm for implementation of crack layer model in slow crack growth, and a blueprint for potential software development that can be used in ranking and the lifetime assessment of a large set of engineering polymers.

On the Thickness Ratio in the Quasigeostrophic Two-Layer Model of Baroclinic Instability

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 1505-1511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noboru Nakamura ◽  
Lei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Lower Layer ◽  
Baroclinic Instability ◽  
Thickness Ratio ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
Optimal Thickness ◽  
Zonal Wavenumber ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Two Layer Model

Abstract It is shown that the classical quasigeostrophic two-layer model of baroclinic instability possesses an optimal ratio of layer thicknesses that maximizes the growth rate, given the basic-state shear (thermal wind), beta, and the mean Rossby radius. This ratio is interpreted as the vertical structure of the most unstable mode. For positive shear and beta, the optimal thickness of the lower layer approaches the midheight of the model in the limit of strong criticality (shear/beta) but it is proportional to criticality in the opposite limit. For a set of parameters typical of the earth’s midlatitudes, the growth rate maximizes at a lower-layer thickness substantially less than the midheight and at a correspondingly larger zonal wavenumber. It is demonstrated that a turbulent baroclinic jet whose statistical steady state is marginally critical when run with equal layer thicknesses can remain highly supercritical when run with a nearly optimal thickness ratio.

Verifying urban canopy parameterization effects in a mesoscale model with wind tunnel data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ge Cheng ◽  
Sylvio Freitas ◽  
K. Heinke Schlünzen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
Turbulent Fluctuation ◽  
Extended Model ◽  
Building Height ◽  
Surface Fraction ◽  
Microscale Model ◽  
Wind Tunnel Data

<p>Airflow within and above urban canopy layers are modelled by different approaches in a wind tunnel and in a numerical mesoscale model. For the experimental approaches in the wind tunnel, the combination of spires, roughness elements and a physical model generates a scaled boundary layer flow with velocity and turbulence characteristics that are consistent with microscale urban canopy flows in reality. A wind tunnel is comparable in resolution with an obstacle resolving microscale model, therefore data comparisons are frequently done for this scale. However, for many applications numerical models of 1 km resolution are used, resolving mesoscale atmospheric phenomena but not microscale ones. Parameterizations are then used to represent physical processes and obstacle influences on the atmospheres. Due to the coarse resolution, a direct comparison of mesoscale model results and wind tunnel is difficult.</p> <p>In this study, we use wind tunnel data as validation datasets to evaluate the urban canopy parameterization effects on airflow in a mesoscale model. We have developed a multi-layer urban canopy parameterization using nudging, implemented in the atmospheric model METRAS. The extended model is tested in an idealized case, in which the model domain is designed using realistic topographical data for the Hamburg city center but not resolving buildings. To simplify the city structure, two important canopy morphological parameters are used: building surface fraction and building height. Experiments with a similar model configuration were carried out in parallel in the Blasius wind tunnel facility of the Environmental Wind-Tunnel Laboratory of the University of Hamburg at a model scale of 1:500. Based on the realistic building surface fraction and building height, a pyramid-like model for the urban canopy is placed in the wind tunnel. The set-ups of the numerical model runs and the wind tunnel experiments are designed following two principles: first, keeping the set-up in both approaches as equivalent as possible, in terms of meteorological conditions, roughness lengths, simulation durations, etc.; secondly, taking into account the limitations of the microscale wind tunnel datasets and keeping as many characteristics of atmospheric processes as possible.</p> <p>The METRAS results show a good agreement with the wind tunnel datasets, in terms of representing building effects such as the reduction of mean wind speeds in the building wake, enhanced turbulence intensities and turbulent fluctuation characteristics for a sufficiently fine scale. However, for coarser resolution, the result comparability reduces and the agreement is less. Thus, we conclude that sub-grid scale canopy effects can be parameterized sufficiently well for their impacts on the average flow, but any detailed changes can only be simulated with a sufficiently high resolution.</p>

scholarly journals Impacts of Urban Form on Thermal Environment Near the Surface Region at Pedestrian Height: A Case Study Based on High-Density Built-Up Areas of Nanjing City in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junyan Yang ◽  
Beixiang Shi ◽  
Geyang Xia ◽  
Qin Xue ◽  
Shi-Jie Cao
Keyword(s):  
Urban Form ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
Surface Region ◽  
High Density ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Building Density ◽  
Thermal Environments

The continuous worsening of urban thermal environments poses a severe threat to human health and is among the main problems associated with urban climate change and sustainable development. This issue is particularly severe in high-density built-up areas. Existing studies on the thermal environments (temperature data extracted from satellite remote sensing images) are mainly focused on urban canopy areas (airspace below the average height of trees or buildings) rather than the near surface region (at pedestrian height). However, the main outdoor activity space of urban residents is the area near surface region. Hence, this study aims to investigate the influence of urban form (i.e., building density, height, and openness) on thermal environment near the surface region. The high-density built-up areas of a typical megacity (i.e., Nanjing) in China were selected, and the thermal environments of 26 typical blocks were simulated using ENVI-met software. Temperature field measurements were carried out for simulation validation. On this basis, a classified and comparative study was conducted by selecting the key spatial form elements that affect thermal environments. The results showed that in actual high-density built-up areas, single urban form parameter does not determine the thermal environments near the urban surface but mainly affected by the use (function) of space. For this study, the overall thermal environment of a street block is optimal when the building density is between 40% and 50% and the average building height is between 8 and 17 stories. Nonetheless, the urban form can be improved to optimize the overall effects on building functions and thermal environments. Furthermore, function-specific urban form optimization strategies were proposed to optimize thermal environments according to specific functional needs.

Multilayer urban canopy modelling and mapping for traffic pollutant dispersion at high density urban areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 647 ◽  
pp. 255-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Yuan ◽  
Ruiqin Shan ◽  
Yangyang Zhang ◽  
Xian-Xiang Li ◽  
Tiangang Yin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
Pollutant Dispersion ◽  
High Density

scholarly journals Advantages of using a fast urban boundary layer model as compared to a full mesoscale model to simulate the urban heat island of Barcelona

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 4439-4450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markel García-Díez ◽  
Dirk Lauwaet ◽  
Hans Hooyberghs ◽  
Joan Ballester ◽  
Koen De Ridder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Simple Model ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Mesoscale Model ◽  
Urban Climate ◽  
Urban Canopy ◽  
Forecast Model ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
Urban Heat

Abstract. As most of the population lives in urban environments, the simulation of the urban climate has become a key problem in the framework of the climate change impact assessment. However, the high computational power required by high-resolution (sub-kilometre) fully coupled land–atmosphere simulations using urban canopy parameterisations is a severe limitation. Here we present a study on the performance of UrbClim, an urban boundary layer model designed to be several orders of magnitude faster than a full-fledged mesoscale model. The simulations are evaluated with station data and land surface temperature observations from satellites, focusing on the urban heat island (UHI). To explore the advantages of using a simple model like UrbClim, the results are compared with a simulation carried out with a state-of-the-art mesoscale model, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, which includes an urban canopy model. This comparison is performed with driving data from ERA-Interim reanalysis (70 km). In addition, the effect of using driving data from a higher-resolution forecast model (15 km) is explored in the case of UrbClim. The results show that the performance of reproducing the average UHI in the simple model is generally comparable to the one in the mesoscale model when driven with reanalysis data (70 km). However, the simple model needs higher-resolution data from the forecast model (15 km) to correctly reproduce the variability of the UHI at a daily scale, which is related to the wind speed. This lack of accuracy in reproducing the wind speed, especially the sea-breeze daily cycle, which is strong in Barcelona, also causes a warm bias in the reanalysis driven UrbClim run. We conclude that medium-complexity models as UrbClim are a suitable tool to simulate the urban climate, but that they are sensitive to the ability of the input data to represent the local wind regime. UrbClim is a well suited model for impact and adaptation studies at city scale without high computing requirements, but does not replace the need for mesoscale atmospheric models when the focus is on the two-way interactions between the city and the atmosphere.

scholarly journals Eddy Formation near the West Coast of Greenland

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 1992-2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annalisa Bracco ◽  
Joseph Pedlosky ◽  
Robert S. Pickart
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Labrador Sea ◽  
Boundary Current ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
The West ◽  
Current Configuration ◽  
Topographic Slope ◽  
Eddy Formation ◽  
Perturbation Energy ◽  
Quasigeostrophic Model

Abstract This paper extends A. Bracco and J. Pedlosky’s investigation of the eddy-formation mechanism in the eastern Labrador Sea by including a more realistic depiction of the boundary current. The quasigeostrophic model consists of a meridional, coastally trapped current with three vertical layers. The current configuration and topographic domain are chosen to match, as closely as possible, the observations of the boundary current and the varying topographic slope along the West Greenland coast. The role played by the bottom-intensified component of the boundary current on the formation of the Labrador Sea Irminger Rings is explored. Consistent with the earlier study, a short, localized bottom-trapped wave is responsible for most of the perturbation energy growth. However, for the instability to occur in the three-layer model, the deepest component of the boundary current must be sufficiently strong, highlighting the importance of the near-bottom flow. The model is able to reproduce important features of the observed vortices in the eastern Labrador Sea, including the polarity, radius, rate of formation, and vertical structure. At the time of formation, the eddies have a surface signature as well as a strong circulation at depth, possibly allowing for the transport of both surface and near-bottom water from the boundary current into the interior basin. This work also supports the idea that changes in the current structure could be responsible for the observed interannual variability in the number of Irminger Rings formed.

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