Breakdown of the velocity and turbulence in the wake of a wind turbine – Part 2: Analytical modelling

This work aims to develop an analytical model for the streamwise velocity and turbulence in the wake of a wind turbine where the expansion and the meandering are taken into account independently. The velocity and turbulence breakdown equations presented in the companion paper are simplified and resolved analytically, using shape functions chosen in the moving frame of reference. This methodology allows us to propose a physically based model for the added turbulence and thus to have a better interpretation of the physical phenomena at stake, in particular when it comes to wakes in a non-neutral atmosphere. Five input parameters are used: the widths (in vertical and horizontal directions) of the non-meandering wake, the standard deviation of wake meandering (in both directions) and a modified mixing length. Two calibrations for these parameters are proposed: one if the users have access to velocity time series and the other if they do not. The results are tested on a neutral and an unstable large-eddy simulation (LES) that were both computed with Meso-NH. The model shows good results for the streamwise velocity in both directions and can accurately predict modifications due to atmospheric instability. For the axial turbulence, the model misses the maximum turbulence at the top tip in the neutral case, and the proposed calibrations lead to an overestimation in the unstable case. However, the model shows encouraging behaviour as it can predict a modification of the shape function (from bimodal to unimodal) as instability and thus meandering increases.</p

Acteurs et mesures préventives à différentes échelles territoriales pour la création d'indices de dangerosité sur le risque caniculaire: Du plan national canicule à un indice de dangerosité à échelle fine

International audienceThe territorial question constitutes the core of sanitary reforms. In France, if we concentrate on the heat-wave risk, we notice a multitude of actors in interrelation. Indeed, this risk on health is complex to comprehend and to represent in particular since it raises and will raise essential sanitary questions, and also because of the ageing of the population. This article highlights the different actors and active plans and the various possible territorial scales to determine and better communicate on sanitary risks caused by heat waves. This has been done through an index of “hazardousness”, developed on the basis of a few parameters such as the phenomenon duration, its intensity, the threshold and the typical profile. The index has then been sharpened thanks to measurements in urban area during a heat wave.La question territoriale est au coeur des réformes sanitaires. En France, si l’on se concentre sur le risque caniculaire, on constate qu’il existe une multitude d’acteurs en inter-relation. En effet, ce risque sur la santé est complexe à appréhender et à représenter notamment parce qu’il pose et posera des questions sanitaires essentielles, et du fait du vieillissement de la population et du changement climatique. Cet article met en évidence les différents acteurs et plans présents ainsi que les différentes échelles territoriales, afin de déterminer et mieux communiquer sur les risques sanitaires causés par la canicule. Pour cela, un indice de dangerosité a été élaboré, en fonction de la durée du phénomène, de son intensité, du seuil et du profil type. Des mesures réalisées en milieu urbain et en période caniculaire permettent d’affiner l’indice

Assessing the influence of long-term urban growth scenarios on urban climate

International audienceThe objective of this paper is to assess the influence of future urban The objective of this paper is to assess the influence of future urban growth scenarios on future urban climate in Toulouse metropolitan area (France). Specifically, we aim to test the hypothesis that urban growth based on sprawling patterns has a significant influence on the Urban Heat Island (UHI) phenomena than compact patterns. Urban growth simulations, which are based on three contrasting scenarios built by 2100 with respect to different urban patterns, are made using a new spatially explicit urban growth model (SLEUTHR) which is specifically developed for that purpose. Potential UHI maps of 2006 and by 2100 are estimated under the same climate conditions using the SURFEX climate model. The influence of urban form on urban microclimate is assessed by comparing the estimated UHI map of 2006 with the potential UHI maps expected by 2100 with respect to the scenario-based urban expansion maps. Simulations with Meso-NH shows that, for the 2006 experience, the center of Toulouse is warmer than the surrounding rural areas by about 6.4°C at 00 LT and at 06 LT. The results highlight an increase of 1 to 2 degrees in the urban air temperature at the beginning of the night and a lost of cool capacity in the scenarios. Furthermore, the results show that big differences in the scenarios are found when exploring the horizontal distribution of the UHI. The increase in the urbanised surface by 2100 leads to a general elevation of temperatures of about 1°C at 00LT and at 06 LT

Combination of WENO and Explicit Runge–Kutta Methods for Wind Transport in the Meso-NH Model

This paper investigates the use of the weighted essentially nonoscillatory (WENO) space discretization methods of third and fifth order for momentum transport in the Meso-NH meteorological model, and their association with explicit Runge–Kutta (ERK) methods, with the specific purpose of finding an optimal combination in terms of wall-clock time to solution. A linear stability analysis using von Neumann theory is first conducted that considers six different ERK time integration methods. A new graphical representation of linear stability is proposed, which allows a first discrimination between the ERK methods. The theoretical analysis is then completed by tests on numerical problems of increasing complexity (linear advection of high wind gradient, orographic waves, density current, large eddy simulation of fog, and windstorm simulation), using a fourth-order-centered scheme as a reference basis. The five-stage third-order and fourth-order ERK combinations appear as the time integration methods of choice for coupling with WENO schemes in terms of stability. An explicit time-splitting method added to the ERK temporal scheme for WENO improves the stability properties slightly more. When the spatial discretizations are compared, WENO schemes present the main advantage of maintaining stable, nonoscillatory transitions with sharp discontinuities, but WENO third order is excessively damping, while WENO fifth order provides better accuracy. Finally, WENO fifth order combined with the ERK method makes the whole physics of the model 3 times faster compared to the classical fourth-order centered scheme associated with the leapfrog temporal scheme

Urban climate services : climate impact projections and their uncertainties at city scale

In many cities across Europe, both urban authorities and private actors have made strong commitments to adapt to future climate changes. Although a lot of climate information is available at the global and regional scale, this is often not the case at the local urban scale. Moreover, such information should account for a wide range of uncertainty factors ranging from global to city-scale development scenarios to uncertainties due to model errors. In an effort to lay the methodological groundworks for reliable urban climate services, URCLIM explores a compound handling of these uncertainties for various European cities and applies it to the assessment of adaptation measures

Urban Climate, Human behavior & Energy consumption: from LCZ mapping to simulation and urban planning (the MapUCE project)

International audienceThe MApUCE project aims to integrate in urban policies and most relevant legal documents quantitative data from urban microclimate, climate and energy.The primary objective of this project is to obtain climate and energy quantitative data from numerical simulations, focusing on urban microclimate and building energy consumption in the residential and service sectors, which represents in France 41% of the final energy consumption. Both aspects are coupled as building energy consumption is highly meteorologically dependent (e.g. domestic heating, air-conditioning) and heat waste impact the Urban Heat Island. We propose to develop, using national databases, a generic and automated method for generating Local Climate Zones (LCZ) for all cities in France, including the urban architectural, geographical and sociological parameters necessary for energy and microclimate simulations.As will be presented, previous projects on adaptation of cities to climate change have shown that human behavior is a very potent level to address energy consumption reduction, as much as urban forms or architectural technologies. Therefore, in order to further refine the coupled urban climate and energy consumption calculations, we will develop within TEB (and its Building Energy Module) a model of energy consumer behavior.The second objective of the project is to propose a methodology to integrate quantitative data in urban policies. Lawyers analyze the potential levers in legal and planning documents. A few “best cases” are also studied, in order to evaluate their performances. Finally, based on urban planning agencies requirements, we will define vectors to include quantified energy-climate data to legal urban planning documents. These vectors have to be understandable by urban planners and contain the relevant information.To meet these challenges, the project is organized around strongly interdisciplinary partners in the following fields: law, urban climate, building energetics, architecture, sociology, geography and meteorology, as well as the national federation of urban planning agencies.In terms of results, the cross-analysis of input urban parameters and urban micro-climate-energy simulated data will be available on-line as standardized maps for each of the studied cities. The urban parameter production tool as well as the models will be available as open-source. LCZ and associated urban (and social!) indicators may be integrated within the WUDAPT database

Heat stress in urban area: data fusion of observations, modeling and geospatial information

Cities have a direct impact on the local climate. The heating of surfaces and materials in urban area and the production of heat by traffic and human activity contribute to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This local climate will be even more dangerous with climate change. Climate projections for the world suggest elevated minimum and maximum temperatures and more frequent day with higher temperatures (heat wave). Hence, climate change is threatening human well being and health. Today, more than 50% of the world population lives in urban areas and humans spend more than 80% of their time in confined spaces. This can be affected negatively by indoors temperatures. Indoor temperatures are of special importance for well-being and health in general.Quantitative information about outdoor thermal comfort, on various temporal and spatial scales, is required to design better cities and mitigate heat problems not only for warm as well as temperate climates. The overall objective of this study is to explore the relation between indoor and outdoor temperature by urban features such as geometry (type of urban structure), housing areas, building arrangements and several other factors. We use the SURFEX model (that is implemented in several weather prediction models and can also be used alone) to estimate urban temperatures (in street canyons and inside buildings). Therefore, two questions arise: how to represent the outputs of the SURFEX model both spatially and temporally? This work is part of a study conducted in summer 2015 which gathered data from air temperature sensors in five apartments. So for our study, the information given by the model is completed by measures to study the influence of building characteristics and situation on temperatures. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of thermal comfort in climate scenarios to describe the combined effects of changes in multiple apartments and to more realistically measure its impact on humans