FORESTRY

MODELLING

Christiane Montavon, Ian Jones,

Chris Staples
ANSYS UK
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Content
Resistance models for forest canopy
Svensson
Lopes da Costa
Source term formulation for based model
Model setup
Based on roughness distribution information
Based on canopy distribution information

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Forestry model
2 approaches:
Ground roughness + displacement height
Approach used in WAsP

Resistance term
Similar approach to Walshe (E.On)
(http://www.bwea.com/pdf/trees/POWERGEN.pdf)
Roughness plus displacement model not suitable for CFD
due to blockage effects and anomalous speed-ups.
Forest canopy is volume with resistive body force
Possible inclusion of turbulence source terms as well
Models used in many applications for congested regions, eg
rod bundles, pipework,
Long history of application
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Forest Canopy Models

Forest canopies are modeled via resistance terms, using the
Svensson model (Svensson & Hggkvist, 1990) and the Lopes da
Costa model (Lopes da Costa, 2007).
Forces due to the canopy are represented by a source term in the
momentum equation:
1

Fi = C D U U i = K loss U U i
2
2

where
is leaf foliage area per unit volume [m2 m-3]
CD is the canopy drag coefficient

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Forest Canopy Models

The effect of the canopy on turbulence is accounted for by additional
source terms. For a k- turbulence model these are given as:

Sk =

1
3
C D p U d U k
2

S =

1
3

C D p C4 U d C5 U
2
k

With the model constants:

Model

C4

C5

Svensson

1.0

0.0

1.95

0.0

Lopes da Costa

0.17

3.37

0.9

0.9

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Turbulence sources formulation

for based models
Transformation of equation into equation via relationship
= C k

Leads to formulation of source term in the equation expressed

as
S =
=

Sk +

1
S
C k

1
3

C D p (C4 1)U
d (C5 1)U
2
k

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Switching on the forest canopy model

in GUI
Select Canopy Model.
Options are:
None
Svensson
Lopes da Costa
Resistance in momentum
only
Enter Canopy Input
Option
From roughness data
CFX Interpolation Table
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Model setup 1, from CFX

Interpolation Table
LIBRARY:
CEL:
EXPRESSIONS:
unitlen = 1.0 [m]
# Definition of canopy location
#Canopy height (only add canopy model if canopy height read in > 1[m])
zcanopy = if(canopy.height(x,y)> 1 [m],canopy.height(x,y), -1 [m])
StepCanopy = step(-(z-zgrnd-zcanopy)/unitlen)
END
FUNCTION: canopy
Argument Units = [m], [m]
File Name = canopy_map.csv
Option = Profile Data
Spatial Fields = X, Y
DATA FIELD: height
Field Name = height
Result Units = [m]
END
END
END
END

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Model setup 2, from roughness

information
LIBRARY:
CEL:
EXPRESSIONS:
unitlen = 1.0 [m]
# Definition of canopy area , no canopy modelled if roughness < minz0canopy
minz0canopy = 0.2 [m]
rough = map.roughness(x,y)
zcanopy = if(rough>minz0canopy,20*rough, 0 *unitlen) #Canopy height
StepCanopy = if (z-zgrnd<zcanopy,1.0,0)
END
FUNCTION: map
Argument Units = [m], [m]
File Name = roughness_map.csv
Option = Profile Data
Spatial Fields = X, Y
DATA FIELD: roughness
Field Name = roughness
Result Units = [m]
END
END
END
END
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Store canopy location in AV

visualisation
LIBRARY:
ADDITIONAL VARIABLE: LocationCanopy
Option = Definition
Tensor Type = SCALAR
Units = [ ]
Variable Type = Unspecified
END
END
FLOW:
DOMAIN: domain1
FLUID MODELS:
ADDITIONAL VARIABLE: LocationCanopy
Additional Variable Value = StepCanopy
Option = Algebraic Equation
END
END
END
END

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The top of the forest

canopy can be seen in Post
by creating an isosurface
for the variable
LocationCanopy set to a
value of ~0.1

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What values for loss coefficient

and canopy height?
Loss coefficient function of tree
type and density.
Stuart et al (2008) suggest that when
using a loss coefficient that is
independent of height, setting the
canopy height to ~3/4 to 3/5 of the
actual maximum tree height on site
leads to reasonable results.

calibration required.

P. Stuart, I. Hunter, J.C.P. Lopes da Costa, J. M.L.M. da Palma, Wind Flow Over Forested Hills: Mean Flow and Turbulence Characteristics,
DFFV Forest workshop, Vattenfall, Fredericia, March 2008.
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References
Svensson U., Hggkvist K., 1990, A two-equation turbulence
model for canopy flows, Journal of Wind Engineering and
Industrial Aerodynamics, 35, pp 201-211.
Lopes da Costa, J. C. P., 2007, Atmospheric Flow Over
Forested and Non-Forested Complex Terrain, PhD Thesis
University of Porto, July 2007.
P. Stuart, I. Hunter, J.C.P. Lopes da Costa, J. M.L.M. da Palma,
Wind Flow Over Forested Hills: Mean Flow and Turbulence
Characteristics, DFFV Forest workshop, Vattenfall, Fredericia,
March 2008.

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