Investigation of the accuracy of the transient wind forcing model applied for a shear-driven LES

Abstract

We examine the effectiveness of the Transient Wind Forcing (TWF), previously validated with field and wind tunnel experiments, using LES in large-scale and small-scale cyclic domains. The small domain includes only a part of the atmospheric boundary-layer height, so the effect of wind shear is modeled near its upper boundary with the TWF coupling method. It is essentially a time-dependent volume source of momentum, which is controlled using velocity time series extracted from a point in the large domain. Surface roughness is explicitly modeled in both domains. The dispersion of atmospheric pollutants is investigated by the Lagrange method. The model error of TWF coupling is quantitatively evaluated in the case of atmospheric boundary layers with different Coriolis parameters, atmospheric stability, and surface roughness. The results of the small model driven by the TWF method showed good agreement with the reference results obtained from the large domain based on the average wind speed and turbulence profiles between and directly above the buildings, as well as the concentration of air pollutants emitted at ground level. For this, it was also necessary to consider the pressure gradient corresponding to the geostrophic wind and the effect of the Coriolis force in the small domain.