Study of the Possibility of Stimulating Cloud Convection by Solar Radiation Energy Absorbed in an Artificial Aerosol Layer

Abstract

We consider the possibility of creating artificial clouds similar to Pyro clouds formed in nature over large forest and other fires. It is assumed that the creation of an artificial surface aerosol layer that absorbs solar radiation can lead to the heating of local air volumes and initiate thermal convection. The possibility of such convection was examined theoretically using the computational fluid dynamics software package suite FlowVision, in which the equations of motion, energy and mass transfer are solved in relative variables. Numerical experiments showed the principal possibility of initiating cloud convection only under some favorable atmospheric conditions (low wind speeds, temperature lapse rate greater than 8–9 °C/km), with an aerosol layer area of at least 5–10 km2 and a duration of its existence (heating) of at least 30 min. To assess the possibility of the practical implementation of this method, eight variants of highly efficient smoke compositions were developed and tested, and two batches of aerosol checkers weighing 25 kg, creating an aerosol of optimal size to absorb solar radiation, were produced. Calculations of the required dose based on the results of laboratory and field tests of the checkers showed that for one experiment to initiate cloud convection several thousand checkers need to be burned. The consumption of pyrotechnic aerosol composition (tens of tons) is about 1.5 times less than the burning of petroleum products in previously tested meteotrons. However, for environmental safety purposes, full-scale tests and the application of the aerosol layer method is advisable to conduct away from populated areas.