Aspects of quality control of wind profiler measurements in complex topography

It is well known in the scientific community that some remote sensing instruments assume that sample volumes present homogeneous conditions within a defined meteorological profile. At complex topographic sites and under extreme meteorological conditions, this assumption may be fallible depending on the site, and it is more likely to fail in the lower layers of the atmosphere. This piece of work tests the homogeneity of the wind field over a boundary layer wind profiler radar located in complex terrain on the coast under different meteorological conditions. The results reveal the qualitative importance of being aware of deviations in this homogeneity assumption and evaluate its effect on the final product. Patterns of behavior in data have been identified in order to simplify the analysis of the complex signal registered. The quality information obtained from the homogeneity study under different meteorological conditions provides useful indicators for the best alternatives the system can offer to build wind profiles. Finally, the results are also to be considered in order to integrate them in a quality algorithm implemented at the product level.

Estudio de la precisión de varios modelos de turbulencia en la aplicación a perfiles aerodinámicos

[ES]El objetivo principal de este proyecto se centra en modelizar correctamente la capa límite sobre el perfil alar donde se produce la transición del régimen laminar al régimen transitorio. Como objetivo secundario se encuentra el afianzamiento de las bases teóricas de mecánica de fluidos obtenidas en la escuela y la adquisición de más conocimientos relacionados con la aerodinámica, concretamente con la capa límite. En una primera parte se tratarán los conceptos generales de los perfiles alares y se hará una breve introducción a los distintos tipos de mallado existentes. También se explicará el concepto de capa límite y todo lo relacionado con ella. A continuación, se establecerán los criterios de selección del modelo de turbulencia más adecuado y se mostrarán los resultados obtenidos de los distintos tipos de modelos de turbulencia anteriormente mencionados. Una vez seleccionado un modelo de turbulencia se profundizará en su estudio, aplicándolo a varios perfiles NACA. Se analizarán los resultados obtenidos y los errores y se buscarán posibles soluciones. Finalmente, se procederá a sacar las conclusiones del modelo escogido y se comparará con una serie de ensayos experimentales con objeto de poder validarlo.

Self-Similarity and helical symmetry in vortex generator flow simulations

According to experimental observations, the vortices generated by vortex generators have previously been observed to be self-similar for both the axial (u(z)) and azimuthal (u(circle minus)) velocity profiles. Further, the measured vortices have been observed to obey the criteria for helical symmetry. This is a powerful result, since it reduces the highly complex flow to merely four parameters. In the present work, corresponding computer simulations using Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations have been carried out and compared to the experimental observations. The main objective of this study is to investigate how well the simulations can reproduce the physics of the flow and if the same analytical model can be applied. Using this model, parametric studies can be significantly reduced and, further, reliable simulations can substantially reduce the costs of the parametric studies themselves.

Computational study of the vortex path variation with the VG height

An extensive range of conventional, vane-type, passive vortex generators (VGs) are in use for successful applications of flow separation control. In most cases, the VG height is designed with the same thickness as the local boundary layer at the VG position. However, in some applications, these conventional VGs may produce excess residual drag. The so-called low-profile VGs can reduce the parasitic drag associated to this kind of passive control devices. As suggested by many authors, low-profile VGs can provide enough momentum transfer over a region several times their own height for effective flow-separation control with much lower drag. The main objective of this work is to study the variation of the path and the development of the primary vortex generated by a rectangular VG mounted on a flat plate with five different device heights h = delta, h(1) = 0.8 delta, h(2) = 0.6 delta, h(3) = 0.4 delta and h(4) = 0.2 delta, where delta is the local boundary layer thickness. For this purpose, computational simulations have been carried out at Reynolds number Re = 1350 based on the height of the conventional VG h = 0.25m with the angle of attack of the vane to the oncoming flow beta = 18.5 degrees. The results show that the VG scaling significantly affects the vortex trajectory and the peak vorticity generated by the primary vortex.

The effect of low solubility organic acids on the hygroscopicity of sodium halide aerosols

In order to accurately assess the influence of fatty acids on the hygroscopic and other physicochemical properties of sea salt aerosols, hexanoic, octanoic or lauric acid together with sodium halide salts (NaCl, NaBr and NaI) have been chosen to be investigated in this study. The hygroscopic properties of sodium halide sub-micrometre particles covered with organic acids have been examined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in an aerosol flow cell. Covered particles were generated by flowing atomized sodium halide particles (either dry or aqueous) through a heated oven containing the gaseous acid. The obtained results indicate that gaseous organic acids easily nucleate onto dry and aqueous sodium halide particles. On the other hand, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicate that lauric acid coating on NaCl particles makes them to aggregate in small clusters. The hygroscopic behaviour of covered sodium halide particles in deliquescence mode shows different features with the exchange of the halide ion, whereas the organic surfactant has little effect in NaBr particles, NaCl and NaI covered particles experience appreciable shifts in their deliquescence relative humidities, with different trends observed for each of the acids studied. In efflorescence mode, the overall effect of the organic covering is to retard the loss of water in the particles. It has been observed that the presence of gaseous water in heterogeneously nucleated particles tends to displace the cover of hexanoic acid to energetically stabilize the system.

Aspects of quality control of wind profiler measurements in complex topography

It is well known in the scientific community that some remote sensing instruments assume that sample volumes present homogeneous conditions within a defined meteorological profile. At complex topographic sites and under extreme meteorological conditions, this assumption may be fallible depending on the site, and it is more likely to fail in the lower layers of the atmosphere. This piece of work tests the homogeneity of the wind field over a boundary layer wind profiler radar located in complex terrain on the coast under different meteorological conditions. The results reveal the qualitative importance of being aware of deviations in this homogeneity assumption and evaluate its effect on the final product. Patterns of behavior in data have been identified in order to simplify the analysis of the complex signal registered. The quality information obtained from the homogeneity study under different meteorological conditions provides useful indicators for the best alternatives the system can offer to build wind profiles. Finally, the results are also to be considered in order to integrate them in a quality algorithm implemented at the product level.