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Modelling of Turbulence over Low Hills and Varying Surface Roughness

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Abstract

Neutral surface layer flow over low hills and varying surface roughness is considered with emphasis on closure schemes in relation to the prediction of turbulence quantities. The equations are linearised, Fourier transformed in the two horizontal directions and solved by means of a finite difference method in the vertical. Three closure schemes are, employed, namely mixing length, E-ε and E-ε-τ closure where E, ε and τ indicate that differential equations are used for turbulent kinetic energy, dissipation rate and shear stress. Model calculations are compared with experimental data for the step in roughness problem and for the Askervein hill. The mean flow results turn out to be relatively insensitive to the closure scheme. The shear stress and the dimensionless shear, however, are much better predicted with the E-ε equations than with mixing length closure. In the outer layer of the hill problem, advection of shear stress becomes important. An equation for τ is needed here.

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© 1987 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Beljaars, A.C.M., Walmsley, J.L., Taylor, P.A. (1987). Modelling of Turbulence over Low Hills and Varying Surface Roughness. In: Beniston, M., Pielke, R.A. (eds) Interactions between Energy Transformations and Atmospheric Phenomena. A Survey of Recent Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1911-7_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1911-7_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-8445-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-1911-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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