Wind-induced Flow Research Articles

Flume experiments on wind induced flow in static water bodies in the presence of protruding vegetation

The problem of wind-induced flow in inland waters is drawing significant research attention given its relevance to a plethora of applications in wetlands including treatment designs, pollution reduction, and biogeochemical cycling. The present work addresses the role of wind induced turbulence and waves within an otherwise static water body in the presence of rigid and flexible emergent vegetation through flume experimentation and time series analysis. Because no prior example of Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV) experiments involving air–water and flexible oscillating components have been found in the literature, a spectral analysis framework is needed and proposed here to guide the analysis involving noise, wave and turbulence separation. The experiments reveal that wave and turbulence effects are simultaneously produced at the air–water interface and the nature of their coexistence is found to vary with different flow parameters including water level, mean wind speed, vegetation density and its flexibility. For deep water levels, signature of fine-scaled inertial turbulence is found at deeper layers of the water system. The wave action appears stronger close to the air–water interface and damped by the turbulence deeper inside the water system. As expected, wave action is found to be dominated in a certain frequency range driven by the wind forcing, while it is also diffused to lower frequencies by means of (wind-induced) oscillations in vegetation. Regarding the mean water velocity, existence of a counter-current flow and its switching to fully forward flow in the direction of the wind under certain combinations of flow parameters were studied. The relative importance of wave and turbulence to the overall energy, degree of anisotropy in the turbulent energy components, and turbulent momentum transport at different depths from the air–water interface and flow combinations were then quantified. The flume experiments reported here differ from previous laboratory studies in the related literature involving vegetation in the sense that the wave forcing is only present on the water surface contrary to a full-body excitation by tidal wave simulators and thus important in advancing the knowledge regarding a wider range of water resource problems.

The evolution of velocity profiles and turbulent viscosity in a system of currents with wind-induced and density flows

The results of an in-situ study and mathematical modeling of a system of currents with wind-induced and density flows are presented. The model is based on the obtained dependences of its key parameters on the density-field characteristics, changes in the water level, and the water-reservoir topography. The revealed features of the of shear-velocity profile are indicated and a function of its distribution from the bottom to the open surface of the water is given. The model that was developed is verified by the data from measuring the parameters of currents and composition of water in the Petrozavodsk Bay of Onega Lake in September 2007. The regularities for the evolution of distributions of the coefficient of the turbulent exchange and current velocity over depth and in time are revealed.

Density-Stratified Flow Events in Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA: Implications for Mercury and Salinity Cycling

Density stratification in saline and hypersaline water bodies from throughout the world can have large impacts on the internal cycling and loading of salinity, nutrients, and trace elements. High temporal resolution hydroacoustic and physical/chemical data were collected at two sites in Great Salt Lake (GSL), a saline lake in the western USA, to understand how density stratification may influence salinity and mercury (Hg) distributions. The first study site was in a causeway breach where saline water from GSL exchanges with less saline water from a flow restricted bay. Near-surface-specific conductance values measured in water at the breach displayed a good relationship with both flow and wind direction. No diurnal variations in the concentration of dissolved (<0.45 μm) methylmercury (MeHg) were observed during the 24-h sampling period; however, the highest proportion of particulate Hgtotal and MeHg loadings was observed during periods of elevated salinity. The second study site was located on the bottom of GSL where movement of a high-salinity water layer, referred to as the deep brine layer (DBL), is restricted to a naturally occurring 1.5-km-wide “spillway” structure. During selected time periods in April/May, 2012, wind-induced flow reversals in a railroad causeway breach, separating Gunnison and Gilbert Bays, were coupled with high-velocity flow pulses (up to 55 cm/s) in the DBL at the spillway site. These flow pulses were likely driven by a pressure response of highly saline water from Gunnison Bay flowing into the north basin of Gilbert Bay. Short-term flow reversal events measured at the railroad causeway breach have the ability to move measurable amounts of salt and Hg from Gunnison Bay into the DBL. Future disturbance to the steady state conditions currently imposed by the railroad causeway infrastructure could result in changes to the existing chemical balance between Gunnison and Gilbert Bays. Monitoring instruments were installed at six additional sites in the DBL during October 2012 to assess impacts from any future modifications to the railroad causeway.

Wind-induced interannual variability of sea level slope, along-shelf flow, and surface salinity on the Northwest Atlantic shelf

In this study, we examine the importance of regional wind forcing in modulating advective processes and hydrographic properties along the Northwest Atlantic shelf, with a focus on the Nova Scotian Shelf (NSS)-Gulf of Maine (GoM) region. Long-term observational data of alongshore wind stress, sea level slope, and along-shelf flow are analyzed to quantify the relationship between wind forcing and hydrodynamic responses on interannual time scales. Additionally, a simplified momentum balance model is used to examine the underlying mechanisms. Our results show significant correlation among the observed interannual variability of sea level slope, along-shelf flow, and alongshore wind stress in the NSS-GoM region. A mechanism is suggested to elucidate the role of wind in modulating the sea level slope and along-shelf flow: stronger southwesterly (northeastward) winds tend to weaken the prevailing southwestward flow over the shelf, building sea level in the upstream Newfoundland Shelf region, whereas weaker southwesterly winds allow stronger southwestward flow to develop, raising sea level in the GoM region. The wind-induced flow variability can influence the transport of low-salinity water from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the GoM, explaining interannual variations in surface salinity distributions within the region. Hence, our results offer a viable mechanism, besides the freshening of remote upstream sources, to explain interannual patterns of freshening in the GoM.

On the internal boundary layer related wind stress curl and its role in generating shallow lake circulations

Abstract The paper demonstrates that the wind stress curl as an external vorticity source plays an important role in shaping large scale shallow lake circulations. The analysis of purpose-oriented simultaneous wind and current measurements data from the Hungarian part of Lake Neusiedl reasonably fits well the internal boundary layer development theory over the lake surface. A 2-D vorticity formulation of wind-induced flows is used to demonstrate mathematically the IBL-related large scale circulation generation mechanism well reflected in the measured data. Further validation of the findings is carried out by means of simple 2-D numerical flow modelling, in which details on the flow pattern besides the measurement sites could be also revealed. Wind-induced lake circulations linked to IBL development shows a novelty to be implemented in up-to-date numerical flow models.

Multi-block lattice Boltzmann simulations of solute transport in shallow water flows

We report a two-dimensional multi-block lattice Boltzmann model for solute transport in shallow water flows, which is developed based on the advection–diffusion equation for mass transport and the shallow water equations for the flows. A weighting factor is included in the centered scheme for improved accuracy. The model is firstly verified by simulating three benchmark tests: wind-driven circulation in a dish-shaped lake, jet-forced flow in a circular basin, and flow formed by two parallel streams containing different uniform concentrations at the same constant velocity; and then it is applied to a practical wind-induced flow, Baiyangdian Lake, which is characterized by irregular geometries and complex bathymetries. The numerical results have shown that the model is able to produce accurate and detailed results for both water flows and solute transport, which is attractive, especially for flows in narrow zones of practical terrains and certain areas with largely varying pollutant concentrations.

Large Eddy Simulation of Fire Smoke Re-circulation in Urban Street Canyons of Different Aspect Ratios

Critical re-circulation phenomenon happens when a fire occurs in an urban street canyon, in which the uprising smoke plume is re- circulated back into the base of the street canyon by the wind-induced flow. This happens when the inertia of the wind flow with a certain so-called critical re-circulation velocity balances the buoyancy force of the fire smoke. The fire smoke dispersion and critical re- circulation wind velocity have been revealed in previous works for urban street canyons with aspect ratio (W/H) of unity. This paper presents an investigation of the effect of street canyon aspect ratio on the above behaviour. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) was performed by Fire Dynamics Simulation (FDS) for a 5 MW fire corresponding to the Heat Release Rate of a burning car. The simulated street canyon has height of 18 m and different width of 9 m, 12 m, 15 m, 18 m, 21 m, 24 m, 27 m, 30 m and 36 m respectively, with aspect ratios varied from 0.5 to 2.0. The smoke soot and CO concentration distribution were presented for different street canyon aspect ratios. It was found that the variation of critical re-circulation wind velocity with street canyon aspect ratio can be divided into three zones. The critical re-circulation wind velocity firstly increases at the first zone, then remains constant at the second zone, and finally increases again at the third zone with the increasing of the street canyon aspect ratio. This special behaviour was explained based on the flow characteristics in the street canyon.

Evidences of Intermittent Wind-Induced Flow in the Yellow Sea obtained from AVHRR SST Data

Ten-year AVHRR sea surface temperature data obtained in the Yellow Sea are put into EOF analyses. Temperature variation is predominated by the first mode which is associated with the seasonal fluctuation of temperature with annual range decreasing with the bottom depth. Since such a strong annual signal may mask the upwind or downwind flows occurring intermittently during the winter, only the data obtained during this season are put into EOF analyses. Every winter shows similar results. The first mode, explaining more than 90% of total variance, appears to be a part of the seasonal variation of temperature mentioned above. In the second mode, the time coefficient is well correlated with northerly winds to which the responses of the trough and shallow coastal areas are opposite to each other. A simple theoretical consideration suggests the following physical explanation: The northerly wind stress anomaly creates an upwind (downwind) flow over the trough (coastal) areas, which then induces a temperature increase (decrease) by advection of heat, and vice versa for the southerly wind stress anomaly. Hence, this paper provides further evidence of the intermittent upwind or downwind flows occurring in the Yellow Sea every winter.

Environmental changes in Chaohu Lake (southeast, China) since the mid 20th century: The interactive impacts of nutrients, hydrology and climate

Abstract Chaohu Lake, the fifth largest freshwater lake in the Yangtze floodplain, is faced with multiple stresses from anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. To explore the ecological changes in Chaohu Lake since the mid 20th century, we examined diatoms, geochemical indicators and particle size in 210 Pb-dated sediment core from the lake. Diatom succession revealed that the lake had switched to a eutrophic state since the late 1970s. Redundancy analysis using limnological data, hydrological and meteorological variables showed that sedimentary total phosphorus (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC), annual mean temperature, annual mean wind velocity, and water-level amplitude (WLA) were five significant factors influencing diatom succession. Diatom assemblages from 1950 till 1978 were driven by WLA and wind. The establishment of Chaohu Dam baffled hydrological connectivity between the lake and the Yangtze River in 1962, and reducing water exchange-induced flow. Meanwhile, weak wind velocity reduced the wind-induced flow in the 1960s. Due to the weak hydrodynamic intensity, the dominant species ( Aulacoseira granulata , a species with high sinking rate) became less important during this period. From 1979 till 2006, diatom assemblages were mainly driven by TP, TOC and temperature, which were highly correlative. Increasing nutrient loading promoted the blooms of eutrophic species (e.g., Cyclostephanos dubius ). In addition, rising temperature would indirectly influence diatom assemblages by mediating nutrient release process. As a consequence, multiple stresses in concert have caused the lake switch to a further eutrophic state indicated by prominent increases in more eutrophic species (e.g., Stephanodiscus parvus ) since 2000. This study provided information on complex trajectories of aquatic ecosystem shifts driven by increasing nutrient loading, hydrological alteration and climate warming in the Yangtze floodplain lake.

703 自然風を考慮した底質輸送現象の数値解析(GS-5・9 水環境)

703 自然風を考慮した底質輸送現象の数値解析(GS-5・9 水環境)

Sediment mobility in response to tidal and wind-driven flows along the Belgian inner shelf, southern North Sea

The effect of hydro-meteorological forcings (tidal and wind-induced flows) on the transport of suspended particulate matter (SPM), on the formation of high-concentrated mud suspensions and on the occurrence of sand–mud suspensions has been studied using long-term multi-parametric observations. Data have been collected in a coastal turbidity maximum area (southern North Sea) where a mixture of sandy and muddy sediments prevails. Data have been classified according to variations in subtidal alongshore currents, with the direction of subtidal flow depending on wind direction. This influences the position of the turbidity maximum; as such also the origin of SPM. Winds blowing from the NE will increase SPM concentration, whilst SW winds will induce a decrease. The latter is related to advection of less turbid English Channel water, inducing a shift of the turbidity maximum towards the NE and the Westerschelde estuary. Under these conditions, marine mud will be imported and buffered in the estuary. Under persistent NE winds, high-concentrated mud suspensions are formed and remain present during several tidal cycles. Data show that SPM consists of a mixture of flocs and locally eroded sand grains during high currents. This has implications towards used instrumentation: SPM concentration estimates from optical backscatter sensors will only be reliable when SPM consists of cohesive sediments only; with mixtures of cohesive and non-cohesive sediments, a combination of both optical and acoustic sensors are needed to get an accurate estimate of the total SPM concentration.

Evaluation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Septic Systems

The emission rates of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from individual onsite septic systems used for the management of domestic wastewater were determined in this study. A static flux chamber method was used to determine the emission rates of methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide gases from eight septic tanks and two soil dispersal systems. A technique developed for the measurement of gas flow and concentration at clean-out ports was used to determine the mass flow of gases moving through the household drainage and vent system. There was general agreement in the methane emission rates for the flux chamber and vent system methods. Several sources of variability in the emission rates were also identified. The septic tank was the primary source of methane, whereas the soil dispersal system was the principal source of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. Methane concentrations from the soil dispersal system were found to be near ambient concentrations, similarly negligible amounts of nitrous oxide were found in the septic tank. All emissions originating in the soil dispersal system were discharged through the building vent as a result of natural, wind-induced flow. The gaseous emission rate data were determined to be geometrically distributed. The geometric mean and standard deviation (sg) of the total atmospheric emission rates for methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide based on samples from the vent system were estimated to be 10.7 (sg = 1.65), 335 (sg = 2.13), and 0.20 (sg = 3.62) g/capita·d, respectively. The corresponding total anthropogenic CO2 equivalence (CO2e) of the GHG emissions to the atmosphere, is about 0.1 tonne CO2e/capita·yr. This title belongs to WERF Research Report Series . ISBN: 9781843396161 (Print) ISBN: 9781780403359 (eBook)

Wind-induced natural ventilation of re-entrant bays in a high-rise building

This paper reports a systematic computational study of wind-induced natural ventilation and pollutant transport of re-entrant bays on a total of 30 generic building models of different building heights and with bays of different dimensions. Mean wind flow around each building model and wind-induced flow inside re-entrant bays are computed. To determine the ventilation efficiency of the bay, the computed flow field is used to disperse a scalar pollutant initially occupying the entire bay at a uniform concentration. The subsequent time decay of pollutant concentration inside the bay is studied and the ventilation efficiency is quantified by the retention time. The results show that wind-induced flow inside the bay, especially on the building side face, is complex and highly three-dimensional. Air exchange rates through the roof opening and vertical side opening are analyzed for each bay and their relationship to the ventilation efficiency is discussed. The bays on the building side faces are much worse ventilated than those on the windward or leeward building face. The deeper the side bay, the worse is the air exchange and ventilation. The building height is found to have a governing effect on the ventilation of the windward and leeward re-entrant bays.

Wind Modifications to Density-Driven Flows in Semienclosed, Rotating Basins

Abstract An analytical two-dimensional model is used to describe wind-induced modifications to density-driven flows in a semienclosed rotating basin. Wind stress variations produce enhancement, inversion, or damping of density-driven flows by altering the barotropic and baroclinic pressure gradients and by momentum transfer from wind drag. The vertical structure of wind-induced flows depends on αH, the nondimensional surface trapping layer, where α is the inverse of the Ekman layer depth d and H is the maximum water depth. For αH &amp;gt; 5 wind-driven flow structures are similar to the Ekman spiral; for αH &amp;lt; 2 wind-driven flows are unidirectional with depth. The relative importance of density to wind forcing is evaluated with the Wedderburn number W = τ−1ρH2D, which depends on water density ρ, mean depth H, a proxy of the baroclinic pressure gradient D, and wind stress τ. Because D depends on α and therefore on the eddy viscosity of water Az, wind speed and Az both modify W. Moreover, wind direction alters W by modifying the pressure gradient through the sea surface slope. The effect of Az is also evaluated with the Ekman number E = Az/fH2, where f is the Coriolis parameter. The alterations of the density-driven flow by the wind-driven flow are explored in the E and W parameter space through examination of the lateral structure of the resulting exchange flows. Seaward winds and positive transverse winds (to the right facing up basin in the Northern Hemisphere) result in vertically sheared flow structures for most of the E versus W space. In contrast, landward winds and negative transverse winds (to the left facing up basin) result in unidirectional landward flows for most of the E versus W space. When compared to observed and numerically simulated flow structures, the results from the analytical model compare favorably in regard to the main features.

A second-order analytic solution for oscillatory wind-induced flow in an idealized shallow lake

We present a second-order analytic solution to the nonlinear depth-integrated shallow water equations for free-surface oscillatory wind-driven flow in an idealized lake. Expressing the solution as an asymptotic expansion in the dimensionless wave amplitude ( ζ/ h), which is considered to be a small parameter, enables simplification of the governing equations and permits the use of a perturbation approach to solve them. This analytic solution provides a benchmark for testing numerical models. In particular, the main merit of this solution is that it accounts for advective effects, which are typically omitted from analytic solutions of two-dimensional free surface flow. In order to retain these effects in an analytic solution, we restrict our attention to forcing from a monochromatic wind stress, consider a constant depth rectangular lake, and simplify the governing equations by omitting the Coriolis and eddy viscosity terms and using a linearised friction factor. As such, the analytic solution is of limited use for considering real world problems. Due to the complexity of the analytic solution computer code for this solution is available online. Our solution is valid for cases where changes in the water surface level are small compared with the depth of the lake, and the advective terms in the momentum equations are small compared with acceleration terms. We examine the validity of these assumptions for three test cases, and compare the second-order analytic solution to numerical results to verify an existing hydrodynamic model.

Enhancement of a Turbulence Sub-Model for More Accurate Predictions of Vertical Stratifications in 3D Coastal and Estuarine Modeling

This paper presents an improvement of the Mellor and Yamada's 2nd order turbulence model in the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) for better predictions of vertical stratifications of salinity in estuaries. The model was evaluated in the strongly stratified estuary, Apalachicola River, Florida, USA. The three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was applied to study the stratified flow and salinity intrusion in the estuary in response to tide, wind, and buoyancy forces. Model tests indicate that model predictions over estimate the stratification when using the default turbulent parameters. Analytic studies of density-induced and wind-induced flows indicate that accurate estimation of vertical eddy viscosity plays an important role in describing vertical profiles. Initial model revision experiments show that the traditional approach of modifying empirical constants in the turbulence model leads to numerical instability. In order to improve the performance of the turbulence model while maintaining numerical stability, a stratification factor was introduced to allow adjustment of the vertical turbulent eddy viscosity and diffusivity. Sensitivity studies indicate that the stratification factor, ranging from 1.0 to 1.2, does not cause numerical instability in Apalachicola River. Model simulations show that increasing the turbulent eddy viscosity by a stratification factor of 1.12 results in an optimal agreement between model predictions and observations in the case study presented in this study. Using the proposed stratification factor provides a useful way for coastal modelers to improve the turbulence model performance in predicting vertical turbulent mixing in stratified estuaries and coastal waters.

Synergistic application of oceanographic variables from multi-satellite sensors for forecasting potential fishing zones: methodology and validation results

This study uses synergistic application of satellite-derived chlorophyll concentration (CC), sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface wind (SSW) for forecasting potential fishing zones (PFZs). PFZs are validated in near-real time through fishing operations and detailed statistical analysis of fishing operation data. CC and SST images were derived from Indian Remote Sensing Satellite-Ocean Colour Monitor (IRS-OCM) and NOAA-AVHRR, respectively, to delineate the oceanographic features exhibiting different oceanic processes. QuikSCAT/SeaWinds derived sea surface wind vectors were used to understand, quantify and demonstrate the variability of wind-induced water mass flow as well as their impacts on features/oceanographic process. Oceanographic features such as eddies, rings and fronts were found to be shifted according to the speed and direction of the wind. An algorithm was developed to compute water mass transport and feature shift. An improved methodology was developed and demonstrated using these prime variables, which are responsible for fishery resources distribution. PFZ forecasts were generated and validated through near-real-time fishing operations. The fishing operations data were taken from the logbooks of fishing vessels for detailed statistical analysis. On average, 80% of observations were recorded with more yield than monthly mean catch in the respective areas. A paired t-test showed statistically significant results.

Coupling of two- and three-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical models for simulating wind-induced currents in deep basins

The main interest of the present study is the simulation of wind-induced currents in closed water bodies with shallow and deep regions. This paper describes a low time consumption numerical modelling technique for the simulation of free-surface flow over a geometrically complex bed. To achieve this, a technique employing coupled two- and three-dimensional flow solvers is developed for simulation of the flow. The conjunctive model consists of an upper part 2D Shallow Water Flow Solver (2D-SWFS) coupled with a 3D pseudo-compressible flow solver (3D-PCFS) for the deep regions with a proper interface boundary condition. The 2D-SWFS and 3D-PCFS solvers are coupled via an interfacial shear stress gradient and pressure effects. Time stepping is performed for the 2D solver, and an iterative procedure is employed by the 3D solver to satisfy the equilibrium constraints for the interfacial boundary. The model is able to consider 2D wetting and drying shallow regions without any underlying deep water. Both the 2D and 3D models use nodal based Galerkin finite volume method (GFVM) for solving the governing equations on the unstructured meshes. The accuracy of both models in solving the effective phenomena is examined by comparing the results of simulated test cases with readily available analytical solutions and experimental measurements. Finally, the accuracy of the conjunctive model is assessed by comparing its results for test cases with analytical solutions and experimental measurements from the literature. The new simulation method is then used to solve a wind-induced flow problem in a basin with deep water surrounded by shallow water parts.

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of wind-induced barotropic circulation in the Gulf of Patras

The barotropic, wind-induced circulation, which develops in the Gulf of Patras in Western Greece during the winter, is studied using three-dimensional numerical simulations. The simulations are performed using the numerical code MIKE 3 FM (HD). The Gulf's basin is bracketed between two sills, one on the west at the opening with the Ionian Sea and the other on the east at the Straits of Rio-Antirio at the opening with the Gulf of Corinth. The simulations show that the wind-induced flow creates strong currents near the coasts, which determine the sense of rotation of the gyres that develop in the Gulf. Strong currents are also created at the Rio-Antirio Straits. The wind-induced, barotropic currents do not seem to contribute to the direct replenishment of bottom waters, which recirculate between the two sills. Depending on the wind-speed forcing of the flow, the residence time of the waters in the Gulf of Patras is estimated to range from one week to one month.

A new implicit scheme for solving 3-D shallow water flows

Based on the improved ADI method, this article proposes an improved implicit finite difference scheme for solving 3-D shallow water flows. The main objective is to design a numerical relation between the horizontal velocity on each layer and the depth-averaged velocity for employing the improved ADI method. With the free surface elevation and the depth-averaged velocity obtained by using essentially 2-D depth-averaged mode, the velocity profiles can be obtained easily and simultaneously. The wind-induced flows, the open channel flows due to the pressure gradient and the tidal flows in coastal waters are simulated, and the results are consistent well with the analytical solution and the field data, which shows that the present implicit scheme is stable and effective, and the established model is practical. Moreover, when only one vertical layer is specified, the present 3-D numerical model is reducea to the 2-D depth-averaged model.