Performance Evaluation of the GRAPES Model in Wind Simulations Over South China

In the present study,the performance of the GRAPES model in wind simulation over south China was assessed.The simulations were evaluated by using surface observations and two sounding stations in south China.The results show that the GRAPES model could provide a reliable simulation of the distribution and diurnal variation of the wind.It showed a generally overestimated southerly wind speed especially over the Pearl River Delta region and the south of Jiangxi Province as well as the coastal region over south China.GRAPES also exhibited a large number of stations with the opposite surface wind directions over the east of Guangxi and the south of Jiangxi during the nocturnalto-morning period,as well as an overall overestimation of surface wind over the coastal regions during the afternoon.Although GRAPES could simulate the general evolutional characteristics of vertical wind profile,it underestimated wind speed above 900 hPa and overestimated wind speed below 900 hPa.Though the parameterization scheme of gravity wave drag proved to be an effective method to alleviate the systematic deviation of wind simulation,GRAPES still exhibited large errors in wind simulation,especially in the lower and upper troposphere.

A wind tunnel simulation of the dynamic processes involved in sand dune formation on the western coast of Hainan Island

The western coast of Hainan Island exhibits a savanna landscape. Many types of sand dunes, including transverse dune ridges, longitudinal dune ridges, elliptical dunes, coppice dunes, and climbing dunes, are widely distributed in the coastal zone. In winter, high-frequency and high-energy NE winds （dominant winds） are prevalent, with a resultant drift direction （RDD） of S35.6°W. In spring, low-frequency and low-energy SW secondary winds prevail, with a RDD of N25.1°E. Wind tunnel simulations revealed that the airflow over the dune surface is the main factor controlling the erosion and deposition patterns of dune surfaces and the morphological development of dunes. In the region＇s bidirectional wind environment, with two seasonally distinct energy levels, the airflow over the surface of elliptical dunes, barchan dunes, and transverse dune ridges will exhibit a transverse pattern, whereas the airflow over longitudinal dunes ridges exhibits a lateral pattern and that over climbing dunes exhibits a climbing-circumfluent pattern. These patterns represent different dynamic processes. The coastal dunes on the western coast of Hainan Island are influenced by factors such as onshore winds, sand sources, coastal slopes, rivers, and forest shelter belts. The source of the sand that supplements these dunes particularly influences the development pattern： when there is more sand, the pattern shows positive equilibrium deposition between dune ridges and dunes; otherwise, it shows negative equilibrium deposition. The presence or absence of forest shelter belts also influences deposition and dune development patterns and transformation of dune forms. Coastal dunes and inland desert dunes experience similar dynamic processes, but the former have more diversified shapes and more complex formation mechanisms.

Coherency matrix-based proper orthogonal decomposition with application to wind field simulation

Proper Orthogonal Decomposition （POD） provides a powerful modal transformation tool for stochastic dynamics. In this paper, coherency matrix-based proper orthogonal decomposition （CPOD） is presented as an innovative form of the POD based on cross power spectral density matrices. By introducing a discretizing scheme, the CPOD-based spectral representation method is obtained for use in stochastic simulation. Moreover, some criteria are proposed that allow the truncation order of CPOD to be conveniently determined. A numerical example to illustrate the application of the proposed method for the simulation of a wind velocity field is provided.

Wind tunnel simulation of the effects of freeze–thaw cycles on soil erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Intense freezing and thawing actions occur in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau because of its high elevation and cold temperature. The plateau＇s unique environment makes it easy to generate wind erosion under dry, windy weather conditions, resulting in the emergence ofdesertification. As a major form of freeze-thaw erosion, freeze-thaw and wind erosion is displayed prominently on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Therefore, in this study, soil samples were collected from the surface of the plateau to undergo freeze-thaw and wind erosion simulation experiments. Results show that wind erosion strength increases with an increasing number of freeze-thaw cycles, water content in the freezing-thawing process, and the difference in freeze-thaw temperatures. Therefore, in the conditions of water participation, the main reason for the freeze-thaw and wind erosion in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the damage to the soil structure by repeated, fierce freeze-thaw actions, and the sand-bearing wind is the main driving force for this process. The research results have theoretical significance for exploring the formation mechanism of freeze-thaw and wind erosion in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and provide a scientific basis for freeze-thaw desertification control in the plateau.

Non-Gaussian Lagrangian Stochastic Model for Wind Field Simulation in the Surface Layer

Wind field simulation in the surface layer is often used to manage natural resources in terms of air quality,gene flow(through pollen drift),and plant disease transmission(spore dispersion).Although Lagrangian stochastic(LS)models describe stochastic wind behaviors,such models assume that wind velocities follow Gaussian distributions.However,measured surface-layer wind velocities show a strong skewness and kurtosis.This paper presents an improved model,a non-Gaussian LS model,which incorporates controllable non-Gaussian random variables to simulate the targeted non-Gaussian velocity distribution with more accurate skewness and kurtosis.Wind velocity statistics generated by the non-Gaussian model are evaluated by using the field data from the Cooperative Atmospheric Surface Exchange Study,October 1999 experimental dataset and comparing the data with statistics from the original Gaussian model.Results show that the non-Gaussian model improves the wind trajectory simulation by stably producing precise skewness and kurtosis in simulated wind velocities without sacrificing other features of the traditional Gaussian LS model,such as the accuracy in the mean and variance of simulated velocities.This improvement also leads to better accuracy in friction velocity(i.e.,a coupling of three-dimensional velocities).The model can also accommodate various non-Gaussian wind fields and a wide range of skewness–kurtosis combinations.Moreover,improved skewness and kurtosis in the simulated velocity will result in a significantly different dispersion for wind/particle simulations.Thus,the non-Gaussian model is worth applying to wind field simulation in the surface layer.

Application of FLUENT on fine-scale simulation of wind field over complex terrain

The state-of-art Computational Fluid Dynamics （CFD） codes FLUENT is applied in a fine-scale simulation of the wind field over a complex terrain. Several numerical tests are performed to validate the capability of FLUENT on describing the wind field details over a complex terrain. The results of the numerical tests show that FLUENT can simulate the wind field over extremely complex terrain, which cannot be simulated by mesoscale models. The reason why FLUENT can cope with extremely complex terrain, which can not be coped with by mesoscale models, relies on some particular techniques adopted by FLUENT, such as computer-aided design （CAD） technique, unstructured grid technique and finite volume method. Compared with mesoscale models, FLUENT can describe terrain in much more accurate details and can provide wind simulation results with higher resolution and more accuracy.

Wind tunnel simulation of wind loading on a solid structure of revolution

The wind tunnel simulations of wind loading on a solid structure of revolution with one smooth and five rough surfaces were conducted using wind tunnel tests. Timemean and fluctuating pressure distributions on the surface were obtained, and the relationships between the roughness Reynolds number and pressure distributions were analyzed and discussed. The results show that increasing the surface roughness can significantly affect the pressure distribution, and the roughness Reynolds numbers play an important role in the change of flow patterns. The three flow patterns of subcritical, critical and supercritical flows can be classified based on the changing patterns of both the mean and the fluctuating pressure distributions. The present study suggests that the wind tunnel results obtained in the supercritical pattern reflect more closely those of full-scale solid structure of revolution at the designed wind speed.

Numerical simulation of non-gaussian process of wind waves

In this paper further mathematical analysis on 'correlation transfer technique' by Polge el al. is carried out, the tenable conditions and the extent of suitability for the said method are proved as well. In consideration of the influence of skewness of the sea surface elevation on spectral shape, a 'quasi-correlation transfer techique' is developed by the modification of the simulated target spectrum. Meanwhile, the numerical simulation of the non-Gaussian process of wind waves is carried out in view of the two conditions of the surface elevation probability distribution and the spectrum. By using its simulated results, the influence of skewness of the sea surface elevation on two parameters in the distribution of wave heights (which had been fitted by using the Weibull distribution) is analysed. The 'quasi- correlation tranfer technique' is verified and compared with the selection wave data observed in the Jiaozhou Bay in the period of 1980 to 1981. Results make clear (hat, as far as the statistical distribution of the wave heights and the distribution of the maximum (minimum) values of the sea surface elevation are concerned, the said method is obviously superior to the conventional mothed of the linear wave superposition, and that the simulated results are closer to the observation data.

Numerical simulation of the tropical Pacific response to equatorial wind stress anomalies

The results of the tropical Pacific response to the sudden onset of the equatorial wind stress anomalies are discussed. The ocean model is a barotropic, non-linearized one that includes reduced-gravity and an equation for the temperature of the ocean mixed-layer. The experiments are based on a state of equilibrium reached through a long running under the action of annual mean wind stress. There are two kinds of westward wind intensity regions: the whole tropical Pacific and the western tropical Pacific, which are all between latitude 6. 8癗 and 6. 8癝.In these cases, the results show that the positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the Eastern Pacific and the negative SST anomalies in the Western Pacific are produced, and the positive SST anomalies propagate eastward, just as those observed during the actual El Nino phenomena. The propagations of the Kelvin waves and Rossby waves in the ocean are discussed.Another experiment is also carried out in simulating the process of the decay of El Nino event after the weakened Equatorial Pacific eastern winds returned to normal. The results are similar to the observations, too.

Infl uence of structural parameters on dynamic characteristics and wind-induced buffeting responses of a super-long-span cable-stayed bridge

A 3D finite element （FE） model for the Sutong cable-stayed bridge （SCB） is established based on ANSYS. The dynamic characteristics of the bridge are analyzed using a subspace iteration method. Based on recorded wind data, the measured spectra expression is presented using the nonlinear least-squares regression method. Turbulent winds at the bridge site are simulated based on the spectral representation method and the FFT technique. The influence of some key structural parameters and measures on the dynamic characteristics of the bridge are investigated. These parameters include dead load intensity, as well as vertical, lateral and torsional stiffness of the steel box girder. In addition, the influence of elastic stiffness of the connection device employed between the towers and the girder on the vibration mode of the steel box girder is investigated. The analysis shows that all of the vertical, lateral and torsional buffeting displacement responses reduce gradually as the dead load intensity increases. The dynamic characteristics and the structural buffeting displacement response of the SCB are only slightly affected by the vertical and torsional stiffness of the steel box girder, and the lateral and torsional buffeting displacement responses reduce gradually as the lateral stiffness increases. These results provide a reference for dynamic analysis and design of super-long-span cable-stayed bridges.

On the influence of sand-wind on atmospheric environment

The authors seek, through tests on simulated sand samples in a wind tunnel and analysis of minerals combination and trace elements, to discover the environmental implications of flying-up, falling-down and concentration variation as a function of natural wind speed and direction, distance of movement, range and extent of influence on the atmospheric environment, of micro-granular components on the ground surface in the Keerqin desert area in northwest Liaoning Province of China.

Experimental investigation on the wake interference among wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer winds

We examined experimentally the effects of incoming surface wind on the turbine wake and the wake interference among upstream and downstream wind turbines sited in atmospheric boundary layer（ABL） winds. The experiment was conducted in a large-scale ABL wind tunnel with scaled wind turbine models mounted in different incoming surface winds simulating the ABL winds over typical offshore/onshore wind farms. Power outputs and dynamic loadings acting on the turbine models and the wake flow characteristics behind the turbine models were quantified. The results revealed that the incoming surface winds significantly affect the turbine wake characteristics and wake interference between the upstream and downstream turbines. The velocity deficits in the turbine wakes recover faster in the incoming surface winds with relatively high turbulence levels. Variations of the power outputs and dynamic wind loadings acting on the downstream turbines sited in the wakes of upstream turbines are correlated well with the turbine wakes characteristics. At the same downstream locations, the downstream turbines have higher power outputs and experience greater static and fatigue loadings in the inflow with relatively high turbulence level, suggesting a smaller effect of wake interference for the turbines sited in onshore wind farms.

Experiment and numerical simulation on the characteristics of fluid–structure interactions of non-rigid airships

Fluid-structure interaction is an important issue for non-rigid airships with inflated envelopes. In this study, a wind tunnel test is conducted, and a loosely coupled procedure is correspondingly established for numerical simulation based on computational fluid dynamics and nonlinear finite element analysis methods. The typical results of the numerical simulation and wind tunnel experiment, including the overall lift and deformation, are in good agreement with each other. The results obtained indicate that the effect of fluid-structure interaction is noticeable and should be considered for non-rigid airships. Flow- induced deformation can further intensify the upward lift force and pitching moment, which can lead to a large deformation. Under a wind speed of 15 m/s, the lift force of the non-rigid model is increased to approximatelv 60% compared with that of the rigid model under a high angle of attack.

An investigation of the effects of dust storms on rat lung using HRCT and blood gas analysis

The increasing intensity and frequency of sand-dust storms in China has led to greater prominence of associated environmentaland health issues. Many studies have focused on the health effects of air particulate contaminants, but fewformal investigations have studied the effects of sand-dust storms on human and animal health. The aim of this study wasto investigate the effects of dust storms on rat lung by using high resolution computed tomography （HRCT） and blood gasanalysis through a wind tunnel simulating. We found that the rat lung damage effects can be detected by the HRCT imagingafter exposure to sand-dust storm environments, but had no obvious result through blood gas analysis. Exposure durationspositively correlated with the damage degree to lung tissue. These will provide some evidence for clinical diagnosis ofnon-occupational pneumoconiosis.

Experimental study on full scale light frame wood house under repeated lateral load

In order to obtain a deeper understanding of the behavior of the structure under high wind load,this paper conducted an experimental study on a full-scale L-shaped single story light frame wood house under the uniform lateral load simulated using a gasbag.The investigation involved the performance of light frame wood structure after it experienced the repeated cyclic lateral wind load as well as the performance of the structure under the ultimate lateral load.Then,the study verified that light frame wood structure can resist repeated cyclic wind loads without observable degradation in stiffness during the anticipated serve life,and recommended shear wall percent drift restriction for lateral wind load design of wood structure in serviceability limit states is 1/400 drift,and in ultimate limit states is 1/80 drift.The conclusions of this paper can be benefit for the engineering practice of the light frame wood structures in high wind load regions.

Wind-Induced Effect of a Spatial Latticed Dome Structure Using Stabilized Finite Element Method

A stabilized finite element algorithm potential for wind-structure interaction(WSI) problem is presented in this paper. Streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin(SUPG) scheme of the large eddy simulation(LES) of dynamic sub-grid scale(DSGS) is developed under the framework of arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian(ALE) description to solve the governing equations. High stabilization is achieved by a three-step technique in the temporal discretization. On the other hand, the partitioned procedure is employed for the consideration of the coupled WSI problem. Newmark integral method is introduced for the computation of structure domain, while spring analogy method is used for the grid update of the mesh domain. The developed computational codes are applied to the analysis of wind-induced effect of a spatial latticed structure. The numerical predictions of the three-dimensional wind flow features, the wind pressures and the wind-induced effect of spatial structures are given. Comparisons are made between the effects of rigid structure in view of the WSI.

Inertia compensation scheme for wind turbine simulator based on deviation mitigation

Wind turbine simulator(WTS) is an important test rig for validating the control strategies of wind turbines(WT). Since the inertia of WTSs is much smaller than that of WTs, the inertia compensation scheme is usually employed in WTSs for replicating the slow mechanical behavior of WTs. In this paper, it is found that the instability of WTSs applying the inertia compensation scheme,characterized by the oscillation of compensation torque, is caused by the one-step time delay produced in the acceleration observation. Hence, a linear discrete model of WTS considering the time delay of acceleration observation is developed and its stability is analyzed. Moreover, in order to stably simulate WTs with large inertia, an improved inertia compensation scheme, applying a first-order digitalfilter to mitigate deviation response induced by the time delay, is proposed. And, the criterion for selecting the filter coefficients is established based on the stability condition analysis. Finally, the WTS with the proposed scheme is validated by simulations and experiments.

REYNOLDS NUMBER EFFECTS IN TALL BUILDING WIND TUNNEL TESTS

In wind tunnel tests of tall building models comprised of rounded or streamlined surfaces, Reynolds Number Effects (RNE) may be remarkable. In most researches and projects, owing to the presence of sharp edged corners at model, RNE was often treated as negligible, and data colleCted in subcritical flow regime were applied directly to designs which were sure to be supercritical without any modification. But it was proved necessary to take RNE into consideration when a model had predominant rounded smooth surface(s). Some research activities were devoted to the mentioned condition and two experimental techniques accompanied by two wind tunnel model tests were introduced in the article. The authors also presented some amusing phenomenon such as extremely low pressure coefficients caused by the separating bubbles when now past sharp edged corners, unsymmetrical pressure coefficient distributions commenced by biased gap f'low (seen Figs. 3, 4) while models were placed symmetrically in the approaching flow.

Wind-wave induced dynamic response analysis for motions and mooring loads of a spar-type offshore floating wind turbine

Due to the energy crisis and the environmental issues like pollution and global warming, the exploration for renewable and clean energies becomes crucial. The offshore floating wind turbines（OFWTs） draw a great deal of attention recently as a means to exploit the steadier and stronger wind resources available in deep water seas. This paper studies the hydrodynamic characteristics of a spar-type wind turbine known as the OC3-Hywind concept and the dynamic responses of the turbine. Response characteristics of motions and mooring loads of the system under different sea states are evaluated and the effects of the loads induced by the wind and the wave on the system are discussed. The calculations are carried out with the numerical simulation code FAST in the time domain and the frequency analysis is made by using the FFT method. The results and the conclusions from this paper might help better understand the behavior characteristics of the floating wind turbine system under actual ocean environments and provide valuable data in design and engineering practice.

Relationship of tropical-cyclone-induced remote precipitation with tropical cyclones and the subtropical high

This study concerns the precipitation induced by a tropical cyclone （TC） before the TC arrives, which will be referred to as TC remote precipitation （TRP）. Based on the distribution characteristics of the non-rotational wind and the divergent-wind vertical circulation related to TC, the subtropical high, and TRP of 45 TRP events during June, July, and August of 2000-2009, the relationships among these three entities （TC, subtropical high, and TRP） can be categorized into four patterns. The first pattern accounts for the highest proportion of the TRP events （59%）, and a conceptual model is then provided for this pattern. The primary characteristics of this model are as follows： TC, the subtropical high, and TRP can interact with each other through the divergent-wind secondary circulation at both sides of the ridge line of the subtropical high （between the subtropical high and TC, and between the subtropical high and TRP）. At the upper level （150 or 200 hPa）, the northward non-rotational wind from the TC converged toward the subtropical high ridge line and subsided, and at 950 hPa the divergent wind from the ridge line of the subtropical high converged toward TC; these constructed the secondary circulation between TC and the subtropical high. In the meantime, the southward non- rotational wind at the upper level （150 or 200hPa） from TRP and the divergent wind at 950hPa from the subtropical high ridge line toward TRP constructed the secondary circulation between TRP and the subtropical high. As TC and TRP interacted with each other, the subtropical high ridge line was usually under the down- draft area of the whole atmosphere. The other three patterns are different from the first pattern mainly in terms of the intensity and position of the non-rotational-wind secondary circulation. The numerical simulation of the Beijing 7.21 rainstorm confirmed the relationship amongTC, the subtropical high, and TRP, indicating that when the interaction weakened, the TRP also weakened.