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Measurement of atmospheric boundary layer based on super-large-scale particle image velocimetry using natural snowfall

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Abstract

We present an implementation of super-large-scale particle image velocimetry (SLPIV) to characterize spatially the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer using natural snowfall as flow tracers. The SLPIV technique achieves a measurement area of ~22 m × 52 m, up to 56 m above the ground, with a spatial resolution of ~0.34 m. The traceability of snow particles is estimated based on their settling velocity obtained from the wall-normal component of SLPIV velocity measurements. The results are validated using coincident measurements from sonic anemometers on a meteorological tower situated in close proximity to the SLPIV sampling area. A contrast of the mean velocity and the streamwise Reynolds stress component obtained from the two techniques shows less than 3 and 12 % difference, respectively. Additionally, the turbulent energy spectra measured by SLPIV show a similar inertial subrange and trends when compared to those measured by the sonic anemometers.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by US Department of Energy (grant No: DE–EE0002980) and the resources provided by the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering and St. Anthony Falls Laboratory as part of the start-up package of Jiarong Hong.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, 2 Third Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA

    M. Toloui, S. Riley, J. Hong, K. Howard, L. P. Chamorro, M. Guala & J. Tucker

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    M. Toloui, S. Riley & J. Hong

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota, 500 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    K. Howard & M. Guala

  4. Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 W. Green St., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    L. P. Chamorro

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  1. M. Toloui
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  2. S. Riley
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  3. J. Hong
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  4. K. Howard
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  5. L. P. Chamorro
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  6. M. Guala
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  7. J. Tucker
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Correspondence to J. Hong.

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Toloui, M., Riley, S., Hong, J. et al. Measurement of atmospheric boundary layer based on super-large-scale particle image velocimetry using natural snowfall. Exp Fluids 55, 1737 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-014-1737-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-014-1737-1

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