Bluff-body aerodynamics and transfer functions for non-catching precipitation measurement instruments.

Starting from the old and trivial technique of using a graduated cylinder to collect and manually measure precipitation, numerous advances were made for in-situ precipitation gauges. After decades of scarce innovation, a new family of in-situ precipitation gauges was developed. They are called Non-Catching Gauges (NCG) since they can measure precipitation and its microphysical and dynamic characteristics without the need to collect hydrometeors. The attention that NCGs are gathering today is quite notable, even if they represent only a small fraction of the total precipitation gauges deployed. Their use in the field is bound to continuously grow in time, due to several advantages, discussed in this work, that such instruments present over more traditional ones. However, their major disadvantage is their increased complexity, the effects of which are highlighted by the literature through evidence of calibration and correction issues. Various field intercomparison experiments showed the evidence of significant biases in NCGs measurements. The goal of this work is to investigate two main sources of bias, producing the largest impact on precipitation measurements. The first source of bias evaluated in this work is due to instrument calibration. Several attempts at developing a calibration procedure are presented both in the scientific literature and from the manufacturers. Nevertheless, those methods are hardly traceable to international standards and, in most cases, lack a suitable reference measure to compare against the instrumental output. In this work, a fully traceable calibration procedure is proposed, in analogy with the one already existing for catching type gauges. This requires drops of know diameter and fall velocity to be released over the instrument sensing area. For this reason, the Calibrated Rainfall Generator (CRG) is developed, able to release single drops on demand and measure them independently just before they reach the instrument sensing area. Detachment of drops is obtained by using an electrostatic system, while the measure of their diameter and fall velocity is performed by means of a photogrammetric approach. The Thies Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM) was tested using the CRG considering two different output telegrams. The first one provides the raw measure of each drop sensed by the instrument while the second one provides the Particle Size and fall Velocity Distribution (PSVD) matrix. Both telegrams show a tendency to underestimate the drop diameter that increases with decreasing the drop size, while errors in the fall velocity measurements have a less definite trend. Furthermore, tests also show a large standard deviation of the measurements, significantly higher than the one of the reference measurements. The underestimation of drop size and fall velocity is also reflected into the RI measurements provided by the instrument, with a resulting underestimation that decreases with increasing the precipitation intensity. The difference between the two telegrams considered is large and may only be explained by differences in the instrument internal processing for the two telegrams. The second instrument tested using the CRG is the Biral VPF-750, a light scatter gauge. Results show a tendency to underestimate both the drop diameter and fall velocity. In the first case, the error decreases with increasing the drops size, similarly to the Thies LPM. However, the error in the fall velocity is considerably higher and instead increases with increasing the drop sizes. In terms of Rainfall Intensity (RI), the instrument shows a strong underestimation that, due to the opposite trend observed for drop diameter and fall velocity, is almost constant with the precipitation intensity. Both instruments show significant biases, corroborated by field intercomparison results from the literature, that is often larger than 10% for the investigated variables. This means that both gauges cannot be classified according to the guidelines proposed in this work for the development of a standard calibration procedure, derived from those already existing for CGs. The second source of bias is wind, a well-established source of environmental error for traditional Catching-type Gauges (CG) but also affecting NCGs. The wind-induced bias is investigated using a numerical approach, combining Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Lagrangian Particle Tracking (LPT) models. Two different CFD models were tested, the first providing a time-independent steady state solution, while the other is fully time-dependent. Both were compared against wind tunnel results, showing a good agreement with the experimental data, and proving their ability to capture the complex aerodynamic response of instruments when impacted by the wind. The Thies Laser Precipitation Monitor (LPM) is first chosen as a test instrument, being representative of the typical NCGs that are currently deployed in the field. CFD simulations show that wind direction is the primary factor determining the aerodynamic disturbance close to the instrument sensing area. Similar results were found for the OTT Parsivel2, that is another widely diffused NCG. For wind flow parallel to the laser beam, strong disturbance close to the gauge sensing area is observed. Meanwhile, wind coming perpendicular to the laser beam produces minimal flow disturbance. The wind-induced bias is also investigated for the Vaisala WXT-520, an impact disdrometer. This gauge is smaller ad has a more regular shape if compared to the optical disdrometers, but its measuring principle is based on the detection of the drop kinetic energy, while the size and fall velocity are indirectly obtained. CFD simulations show limited disturbance close to the sensing area of the instrument and a negligeable dependency on the wind direction (due to a more radially symmetric geometry). The instrument body further provide minimal shielding of the sensing area. Strong updraft however occurs upstream of the instrument for all wind directions, significantly affecting the fall velocity of the smaller and lighter drops. Using these results, three different LPT models are also tested. The first is an uncoupled model based on the time-independent CFD results and is used to evaluate the instrument performance for all wind speeds and directions considered. The other two models, due to their high computational requirements, are applied only to a selected number of combinations of wind speed and direction for the Thies LPM. Results show a good agreement and allow concluding that the significant increase in computational burden of the latter two models does not significantly improve the accuracy of the results. However, the one-way coupled model highlights the role of turbulence, that may have a significant impact on the instrumental performance when strong recirculation is present near its sensing area. In the case of the two other gauges, only the uncoupled LPT model in combination with the time-independent CFD model is used, this being the best compromise between numerical accuracy and computational cost. Results of the LPT model are presented in terms of variation in the retrieval of precipitation microphysical properties, Catch Ratios (CR), Collection Efficiency (CE) and Radar Retrieval Efficiency (RRE). For the three gauges considered, it is shown that smaller hydrometeors fall velocity close to the instrument sensing area is strongly affected by wind and is – in general – reduced. A significant wind-induced bias is also evident in the Drop Size Distribution (DSD) measured by the gauges. Optical gauges may report a significant lower number of small hydrometeors even at moderate wind speed. Due to the gauge body partially shielding the sensing area. Impact gauge DSD is also strongly influenced by wind, since hydrometeors with high kinetic energy are sensed as having a large diameter. The DSD is therefore shifted towards larger diameters and the instrument tends to overestimate the number of hydrometeors of all sizes. This suggests that the different shapes of the DSD function reported in the field by different instruments may be due, at least partially, to wind-induced biases. In terms of integral precipitation characteristics, the wind direction is the primary factor in determining the performance of optical gauges in windy conditions. For wind parallel to the laser beam, the instrument senses less and less precipitation with increasing the wind speed, with no hydrometeors even reaching the sensing area in some configurations . On the other hand, when the wind is perpendicular to the laser beam, the instrument performs similarly for all wind speeds, with CR and CE values close to one and only a moderate amount of overcatch being observed at high wind speed. Only for the OTT Parsivel2 a non negligeable overcatch is also evident for wind coming at a 45° angle with respect to the beam direction. For the Vaisala WXT-520 the Kinetic Catch Ratio (KCR) and Kinetic Collection Efficiency (KCE) are defined as substitutes for the CR and CE. At low wind speed, the KCR is below unity, due to the reduction in fall velocity produced by the updraft. However, with increasing wind speed, the kinetic energy of hydrometeors carried by wind increases considerably, overcoming the reduction caused by the updraft close to the gauge. For this reason, KCR values becomes much higher than unity, especially for small size hydrometeors. The increase in kinetic energy is reflected into increased KCE values, that are close to unity at low wind speed, but rapidly grow with increasing the wind speed. Wind direction has instead very limited influence on the measurements. In terms of RRE, optical gauges present limited bias for all combinations of wind speed and direction, except for the highest wind speed and flow parallel to the laser beam. This is because a large portion of the radar reflectivity factor (dBZ) is due to medium and large size hydrometeors, that are less influenced by wind. In the case of the impact disdrometer instead, RRE behaves very similarly to the CE, with values that increases with increasing wind speed. This is due to the shift toward larger diameters noted in the DSD that occurs when hydrometeors kinetic energy is increased by wind

Microbiological modulation of suspended particulate matter dynamics: A study of biological flocculation in nutrient-enriched waters

The study of suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics has conventionally focused on physical and hydrodynamical interactions, with little attention paid on exploring the role of SPM as a micro-ecosystem that sustains a wide diversity of microbial colonies. This thesis puts forth a new paradigm of SPM dynamics that integrates mineral, chemical, and biological components into one framework to emphasize the role of microorganisms in altering the chemistry and structure of SPM, which further affect its transport and deposition. Microbiological modulation of SPM dynamics was investigated in this thesis by coupling experiments with numerical models. Experimental results revealed that the size of biomass-affected SPM was approximately 60% larger and the capacity dimension was 2% lower as compared to biomass-free SPM. In contrast, the average settling velocity was observed to be nearly invariant for all SPM types. It was also found that the probability for SPM to aggregate was highly dependent on SPM shape and surface asperity, suggesting that microorganisms can alter SPM collision and aggregation kinematics through their role in modifying SPM structure and shape. Analyses coupling experimental results and a biogeochemical model further reveal the feedback interactions between minerals, chemicals, and microorganisms. It shows how changes in sediment and water qualities can have impacts on microorganisms that in turn modify SPM characteristics and result in further alteration of sediment and water qualities. This thesis provides an insight into the role played by microorganisms in engineering the architecture and altering the chemistry of SPM, with experimental evidence and simulation results put forth to emphasize that the contributions of nutrients and microorganisms cannot be neglected in modelling and predicting SPM dynamics

Distinct secondary ice production processes observed in radar Doppler spectra: insights from a case study

Secondary ice production (SIP) has an essential role in cloud and precipitation microphysics. In recent years, substantial insights were gained into SIP by combining experimental, modeling, and observational approaches. Remote sensing instruments, among them meteorological radars, offer the possibility of studying clouds and precipitation in extended areas over long time periods and are highly valuable to understand the spatiotemporal structure of microphysical processes. Multi-modal Doppler spectra measured by vertically pointing radars reveal the coexistence, within a radar resolution volume, of hydrometeor populations with distinct properties; as such, they can provide decisive insight into precipitation microphysics. This paper leverages polarimetric radar Doppler spectra as a tool to study the microphysical processes that took place during a snowfall event on 27 January 2021 in the Swiss Jura Mountains during the ICE GENESIS campaign. A multi-layered cloud system was present, with ice particles sedimenting through a supercooled liquid water (SLW) layer in a seeder–feeder configuration. Building on a Doppler peak detection algorithm, we implement a peak labeling procedure to identify the particle type(s) that may be present within a radar resolution volume. With this approach, we can visualize spatiotemporal features in the radar time series that point to the occurrence of distinct mechanisms during different stages of the event. By focusing on three 30 min phases of the case study and by using the detailed information contained in the Doppler spectra, together with dual-frequency radar measurements, aircraft in situ images, and simulated profiles of atmospheric variables, we narrow down the possible processes that could be responsible for the observed signatures. Depending on the availability of SLW and the droplet sizes, on the temperature range, and on the interaction between the liquid and ice particles, various SIP processes are identified as plausible, with distinct fingerprints in the radar Doppler spectra. A simple modeling approach suggests that the ice crystal number concentrations likely exceed typical concentrations of ice-nucleating particles by 1 to 4 orders of magnitude. While a robust proof of occurrence of a given SIP mechanism cannot be easily established, the multi-sensor data provide various independent elements each supporting the proposed interpretations.</p

Recent Advances in Indoor Localization Systems and Technologies

Despite the enormous technical progress seen in the past few years, the maturity of indoor localization technologies has not yet reached the level of GNSS solutions. The 23 selected papers in this book present the recent advances and new developments in indoor localization systems and technologies, propose novel or improved methods with increased performance, provide insight into various aspects of quality control, and also introduce some unorthodox positioning methods

UAVs for the Environmental Sciences

This book gives an overview of the usage of UAVs in environmental sciences covering technical basics, data acquisition with different sensors, data processing schemes and illustrating various examples of application

Modellierung von Vereisungsprozessen an Hochspannungsleitungen

The work presented here enables us to numerically simulate ice accretion on transmission lines. Ice loads can cause significant damage to electric power transmission networks, especially in combination with wind. Overhead lines can collapse due to the mass of ice deposits, but also additional loads due to so-called Galloping oscillation can cause significant damage on the structures. Aerodynamic instability of cables due to ice accretion is a known phenomenon. Investigating shape and density of the ice accretion through experiments is very complex. Therefore, a numerical model is presented to simulate ice accretion processes on cables. The model is divided into two main parts, the calculation of the flow field and the ice accretion. The stream of air and precipitation particles is modelled as a one-way coupled multiphase flow. Ice accretion and flow field are calculated iteratively to account for geometrical changes of the ice deposit in the flow calculation. Finally, a risk management framework and its implications for power outages are investigated. Monetary losses due to blackouts increase exponentially with time. The presented approach evaluates variation in outage duration and compares the risk of blackouts to other types of disasters.Die hier vorgestellte Arbeit ermöglicht die nummerische Simulation der Vereisungen von Hochspannungsleitungen. Dieses meteorologische Phänomen kann erhebliche Schäden an den Leitungsnetzen verursachen, besonders wenn es gemeinsam mit starkem Wind auftritt. Nicht nur das Gewicht der Eisablagerungen kann zum Versagen der Leitungen führen. Angeregt durch den Wind kann es zum sogenannten Seiltanzen kommen. Die Leitungen beginnen zu schwingen, wodurch die Konstruktion erheblich belastet wird. Aerodynamische Instabilität von Seilen als Folge eines durch Eisablagerungen geänderten Querschnitts ist ein bekanntes Phänomen. Da die experimentelle Untersuchung von Vereisungsvorgängen sehr aufwendig ist, soll hier ein numerisches Vereisungsmodell vorgestellt werden. Das numerische Modell besteht aus zwei Berechnungsschritten, die iterativ durchlaufen werden: Zunächst wird die Strömung aus Luft und Niederschlagspartikeln als einfach gekoppelte Zweiphasenströmung berechnet. Basierend auf dem Massestrom der Niederschlagspartikel wird dann das Eiswachstum ermittelt. Abschließend wird ein Risikomanagementkonzept und seine Schlussfolgerungen für die Bewertung von Stromausfällen betrachtet. Der präsentierte Ansatz berücksichtigt die Varianz der Ausfalldauer und ermöglicht den Vergleich von Stromausfällen mit Katastrophenszenarien