Effect of surface roughness on large-scale downburst-like impinging jets

Abstract

Downbursts are cold descending winds that develop from thunderstorm clouds and, after impingement on the ground, produce an intense low-level horizontal front characterized by an axisymmetric toroidal vortex structure. Surface roughness is a key factor in the characterization of mean and turbulent wind speed features of synoptic-scale stationary atmospheric boundary layer winds. The goal of the present research is to physically assess whether the same can apply to the surface layer produced during thunderstorms, which are non-stationary, highly time-transient, and spatially limited phenomena. Downburst-like flows were produced through the impinging jet technique at the WindEEE Dome, at Western University in Canada. Three different surfaces were tested, and an equivalent full-scale roughness length (z0,eq) was determined. Experimental records are made publicly available. The large geometric and kinematic scales produced high Reynolds numbers, which enabled us to classify the flow as “fully turbulent” and therefore representative of full-scale downbursts. Results indicate a weak dependency on the Reynolds number, which suggests no relevant flaws in extending the results to the natural environment. The overall wind speed maxima weakly depend on z0, whereas a sharp velocity decrease is observed beyond the radial position of the maxima with increasing z0. Surface roughness enhances the boundary layer separation and consequently elevates the height of maximum wind speed above the surface. Vertical profiles of the horizontal velocity return a quite clear nose shape. Turbulence intensity shows a C-like shape with maxima in the near proximity of the ground that increase with z0.