Giorgio Crasto

University of Cagliari - ITALY

Forest Modelling
A canopy model for WindSim 4.5
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Why the need for a canopy model
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
0,00 0,50 1,00 1,50
u/u
hc
h
/
h
c
Roughness Lenght z0 0,6m
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5
u'w'/u*
2
h
/
h
c
Roughness Lenght z0 0,6m
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
In the new canopy model of WindSim the
Canopy Layer is solved by the use of
porosity and drag forces (sinks of
momentum)
The canopy is described by:
Height of the canopy h
c

The canopy is discretized with a caertain number
of cells (uniform grid?)

Underwood roughness length z
0

Porosity |
Drag coefficients C1 and C2

Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Concept of Porosity
Given a generic volume occupied by fluid and
solid phases, its porosity | is defined as the ratio
volumeof fluidphases
Vol
| =
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Given a surface partially permeable, also a
porosity for a 2D windbreak can be defined as
S
areaholes
total area
| =
Concept of Porosity
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Concept of Porosity
Once done an hypothesis on the structure
of the porous region, there is a relation
linking | and |
S

x EAST
z HIGH
( )
2
3
S
1 1 | = |
Darcys velocity
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Every element of the canopy introduces
in the flow a sink of momentum
So inside the canopy the momentum RANS
equations present an additional term
x
y
z
x x
i t U
i i i
y y
i t U
i i i
z z
i t U
i i i
U U
U p i S
x x x
U U
U p j S
x x x
U U
U p k g S
x x x
(
c c c
= V +
(
c c c

c c
(
c
= V +
(
c c c

(
c c c
= V +
(
c c c




x
U
3
N
S
m
(
=

Advection Diffusion Additional forces: pressure gradient, gravity,
adittional sources
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
The sinks of momentum depend upon
porosity and velocity
A classical approach (for high porous
materials) is to consider the sinks of
momentum proportional to the velocity
In the Darcys law the advective and
diffusive terms are neglected, so the gravity
V
C
k
=

Darcys law
D V
U C P = V

U C S
V U
=
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Sinks of momentum implemented in the
new version of WindSim
Sinks of momentum [N/m
3
]: two terms
U U C2 U C1 S
U

=
viscous
force
pressure
force
Since the high Reynolds
numbers
pressure >> viscous forces
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
In the canopy model of WindSim 4.5 is possible to set the
drag coefficients C1 and C2 where
| |
s
1
C1 =
| | dimensions no C2 =
ty permeabili ] [m k
k k

C1
2
u
= =
Present model
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
How to estimate the porosity k?
The relation k vs. | is proposed:
2
2
2
k C [m ]
1
=

|
|
0
0,002
0,004
0,006
0,008
0,01
0,012
0 20 40 60 80 100
porosity (%)
2
C 0,00450799m =
In this way its possible to
estimate the value of the drag
coefficient C1 starting from a
given value of porosity |
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
0,00 0,25 0,50 0,75 1,00 1,25 1,50 1,75
u/u
hc
h
/
h
c
porosity 15% , C1 1.450E-01, C2 0 porosity 50%, C1 1.002E-02, C2 0
porosity 84%, C1 1.393E-03 , C2 0 porosity 100%
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
speed [m/s]
h
e
i
g
h
t

[
m
]
canopy 04b - C1 1,002E-02 canopy 06b - C1=C2=0,5E-02
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5
u'w'/u*
2
h
/
h
c
porosity 15%, C1 1.450E-01, C2 0 porosity 50%, C1 1.002E-02, C2 0
porosity 84%, C1 1.393E-03, C2 0 porosity 100%
Giorgio Crasto
University of Cagliari - ITALY
Conclusions
With the proposed canopy model is possible to
estimate properly the dissipation of momentum
and the production of turbulence inside a forest
Further validations are needed in order to state
more precise guidelines for the choice of the
parameters C1 and C2 used together
Masts inside forests
Wind farms close to forests
A possible treatment of a canopy would be with
additional sources in the transport equations of k
and c