FLOWSTAR is a model developed by CERC for calculating profiles
of the mean airflow and turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer.
The model includes the impact of hillyterrain and the effects of stratification
and variable surface roughness.
Applications of FLOWSTAR include:
Wind Farms |
Predictions of the wind field for wind farm planning |
Wind Engineering |
Predictions of the flow in the proximity of a wind-sensitive
structure |
Forestry |
Assessing where forests are most exposed to destructive
winds |
Dispersion |
FLOWSTAR is used in the ADMS suite of models, CERC's
air dispersion models, for calculating plume trajectory and spread
in complex terrain |
| Input Requirements
Digital terrain data (XYZ format) -->
Utility included to convert from standard OS NTF data
Standard ADMS met data (hourly sequential or statistical)
Available from UK Met Office |
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Output data
Gridded wind speed and turbulence data at user-specified
heights
Output given for each met condition, and/or averaged over all
met conditions
Utility included to produce contour and vector plots of gridded
data in Surfer
<-- See example |
FLOWSTAR has a user-friendly interface for setting
up and running the model. Simply click through the Hills,
Meteorology and Output screens,
enter your details, save your file and click Run!
FLOWSTAR is now available to buy online. To see the pricing options
and place your order go to the buy online
page. |
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The FLOWSTAR approach is derived from
the theoretical work of Jackson1 and Hunt and Hunt et al2,3.
The model is based on the premise that different processes dominate
the flow dynamics in layers at different heights above the ground; thus
in the inner layer shear stress perturbations are locally important
and are described by a mixing length closure, whilst the flow is also
impacted upon by pressure gradients. These can be determined from
the outer layer flow where stratification plays an important role but
where shear stress perturbations have little influence. There
is a transitional or middle layer between the inner and outer layer.
Validation of the model (e.g. Carruthers
et al4) shows that FLOWSTAR models the flow well typically
for slopes up to 1 in 2 (upwind slopes and hill summits) and up to 1
in 3 locally in hill wakes. Spatial scales treated by the model
range from tens of metres up to several kilometres.
If you would like more information on FLOWSTAR please
e-mail us using the feedback form on the
contacts page.
[1] P.S. Jackson and J.C.R.
Hunt, 1975; Turbulent wind flow over a low hill. Quart.J. R. Met.
Soc. 101, 929 to 955.
[2] J.C.R. Hunt, S Leibovich and J.L. Lumley, 1981: Prediction
method for the dispersal of atmospheric pollutant in complex terrain.
Technical Report P85-81-04, Flow Analysis Associates, Ithaca, NY.
[3] J.C.R. Hunt, S Leibovich and K.J. Richards, 1988: Turbulent
shear flow over hills. Quart. J. Roy. Meteo. Soc., 114,
1435 to 1470.
[4] D.J. Carruthers, J.C.R. Hunt and W. Weng, 1988: Computational
model of airflow over hills. FLOWSTAR I. Proc. Of Envirosoft. Computer
Techniques in Environmental Studies, P. Zanetti, Ed., Springer Verlag.
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