Output details

Wind direction effects on urban flows

Significance of output:

All operational weather forecasting codes use parameterisation to set the conditions at the earth's surface. This includes a parameter defining the roughness (e.g. distinguishing between rural and urban surfaces), which is always independent of wind direction. This paper demonstrates that for urban regions the wind direction can have a large effect on the surface drag. The work is the latest output of our NCAS funded programme on urban flows, some of which has already been used by the UK Met Office in its review for the Carbon Trust's report, 'Small-Scale wind energy - Policy insights and Practical Guidance'.