An investigation into the sheltering performance of porous windbreaks under various wind directions

This study performs a series of simulations utilizing the Navier-Stokes equations and the RNG k-epsilon turbulence model to investigate the efficacy of porous windbreaks in preventing the wind erosion of stockpiles in an open storage yard. The simulations focus specifically on the effects of the fence porosity, the geometric configuration of the wind fence, and the direction of the incident wind. The basic validity of the simulation model is confirmed by performing scale-model wind-tunnel experiments. In general, the results show that the dust control efficiency of the windbreak is fundamentally dependent on the direction of the incident wind. It addition, it is shown that a rectangular wind fence provides a poor sheltering effect for wind incident with an angle of 45 degrees, but is relatively more effective for winds incident in a normal direction. By contrast, an octagonal wind fence yields higher dust control efficiency for oblique incident angles, but is less effective for normally incident winds. Finally, it is shown that the shelter effect can be improved, via the deployment of additional wind fences within the storage yard or at either end of the yard. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.