Forest - Added Turbulence: A parametric study on Turbulence intensity in and around forests

Abstract

The scope of the investigation is to take on-site measured wind data from a number of sites inside and close to forests. From the collected on-site data the ambient turbulence intensity is calculated and analysed depending on the distance to the forest and height above the forest. From this forest turbulence intensity database it is possible to get an overview of the general behaviour of the turbulence above and down stream from the forest. The database currently consists of 65 measurements points from around the globe, and it will be continually updated as relevant sites are made available. Using the database a number of questions can be answered. How does the ambient turbulence intensity decay with height? What does the turbulence profile look like according to wind speed? Is it the general situation that high wind speeds are creating movement in the canopy tops, resulting in higher turbulence? How does the ambient turbulence intensity decay at different height as a function of distance to the forest? From the forest turbulence database it can be seen that in general, the majority of the turbulence intensity created by the forest is visible within a radius of 5 times the forest height in vertical and 500 meters downstream from the forest edge in horizontal direction. Outside these boundaries the ambient turbulence intensity is rapidly approaching normal values. © 2007 IOP Publishing Ltd.