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Shelter effect of a fir tree with different porosities

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Abstract

Windbreak has been used for centuries as a natural wind-fence. The functional effects of windbreaks are directly related to the flow structure. In the present study, the flow around a real fir tree placed in a wind tunnel was quantitatively visualized using PIV (particle image velocimetry) technique. The effects of tree porosity and leaves on the shelter effect were investigated as well. Tree leaves not only reduce the porosity, but also increase the wind-speed reduction and turbulence kinetic energy in the leeward region behind the tree canopy. The leaves of tree canopy induce updraft toward the top region and downdraft toward the ground in the upstream region of the tree. The momentum difference of these two flows generates peculiar upwelling flow characteristics. The large reduction in mean velocities and turbulence intensities of flow around a tree is attributed to tree leaves providing a good shelter zone in the leeward region.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equipment Development Team, Samsung Display, Yongin, 446-711, Korea

    Jin-Pyung Lee

  2. Bio-fluid and Bio-mimic Research Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 790-784, Korea

    Eui-Jae Lee & Sang-Joon Lee

Authors
  1. Jin-Pyung Lee
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  2. Eui-Jae Lee
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  3. Sang-Joon Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sang-Joon Lee.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Yang Na

Sang Joon Lee He is currently a professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering at POSTECH and a director of the Biofluid and Biomimic Research Center. His research interests are biofluid flows, microfluidics, quantitative flow visualization and experimental fluid mechanics.

Jin Pyung Lee He received his Ph.D. in School of Environmental Science and Engineering from POSTECH. Now He is in working in Samsung Display. His research interests are flow visualization, applications of PIV velocity field techniques, and wind tunnel experiments.

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Lee, JP., Lee, EJ. & Lee, SJ. Shelter effect of a fir tree with different porosities. J Mech Sci Technol 28, 565–572 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-1123-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-1123-6

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