Development of a large-scale rainfall simulator for urban hydrology research

Abstract

This work presented the development and testing of a large-scale rainfall simulator (LSRS) to be used as a research tool on rainfall-runoff and associated transport processes in urban areas. The rainfall simulator consists of a pressurized water supply system which supplies a set of 16 full-cone nozzles. Artificial rainfall with different rainfall intensities can be produced over an area of 100 m2 in a V shape. The assembly is housed in a tailor-made acrylic structure to eliminate the influence of wind and natural rainfall. Runoff is measured and collected at the outlet of the drainage basin, from where it is pumped to a storage tank that enables the reuse of water. Runoff hydrographs and pollutographs are presented as examples of possible outcomes from this facility. The LSRS is showed to be able to reproduce the rainfall-runoff and pollutant transport processes under simulated rainfall events with intensity and spatial uniformity similar to other experiments described in the literature.