Prediction of wind properties in urban environments using artificial neural network

Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling has been performed to predict turbulent boundary layer characteristics for rough terrain based on experimental tests conducted in a boundary-layer wind tunnel to simulate atmospheric boundary layer using passive roughness devices such as spires, barriers, roughness elements on the floor, and slots in the extended test section. Different configurations of passive devices assisted to simulate urban terrains. A part of the wind tunnel test results are used as training sets for the ANN, and the other part of the test results are used to compare the prediction results of the ANN. Two ANN models have been developed in this study. The first one has been used to predict mean velocity, turbulence intensity, and model length scale factor. Results show that ANN is an efficient, accurate, and robust modeling procedure to predict turbulent characteristics of wind. In particular, it was found that the ANN-predicted wind mean velocities are within 4.7%, turbulence intensities are within 6.2%, and model length scale factors are within 3.8% of the actual measured values. In addition, another ANN model has been developed to predict instantaneous velocities that enables calculating the power spectral density of longitudinal velocity fluctuations. Results show that the predicted power spectra are in a good agreement with the power spectra obtained from measured instantaneous velocities.     

Counteracting urban climate change: adaptation measures and their effect on thermal comfort

Cities represent thermal load areas compared with their surrounding environments. Due to climate change, summer heat events will increase. Therefore, mitigation and adaptation are needed. In this study, meteorological measurements in various local climate zones were performed to demonstrate the influence of evaporation surfaces and other factors on thermal comfort, as determined by the physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). Furthermore, a quantification of the thermal effects of several adaptation measures and varying meteorological parameters was made using model simulations (ENVI-met) in an inner-city neighborhood (Oberhausen, Germany). The results show that the most effective adaptation measure was increased wind speed (maximal 15 K PET reduction). Moreover, vegetation areas show greater PET reductions by the combination of shading and evapotranspiration than water surfaces. The creation of park areas with sufficient water supply and tall, isolated, shade-providing trees that allow for adequate ventilation can be recommended for planning.     

嘉峪关不同下垫面小气候特征及其人体舒适度对比分析

本文通过分析嘉峪关不同下垫面的温度、湿度、风速等要素在不同季节细微差异,分析归纳了以戈壁,湿地,城市工业,园林绿地为代表的下垫面对小气候的影响贡献;并且以人体舒适度为指标,探讨分析园林绿地对宜居城市建设的贡献。结果表明:4种下垫面的气象要素在春季、夏季有显著或极显著差异,而秋季、冬季差异不显著;园林绿化区具有很好的降温、保湿、风屏等效应,对城市生态影响显著;四个区域平均舒适度,呈现湿地保护区>园林绿化区>城市热岛区>戈壁荒漠区的形势,园林绿化区舒适程度在5-9月明显大于其他下垫面;园林绿化区的降温、增湿效应能够有效缓解城市热岛,对改善城市热环境有着重要的作用和意义。     

Thermal bioclimate in idealized urban street canyons in Campinas, Brazil

Among several urban design parameters, the height-to-width ratio (H/W) and orientation are important parameters strongly affecting thermal conditions in cities. This paper quantifies changes in thermal comfort due to typical urban canyon configurations in Campinas, Brazil, and presents urban guidelines concerning H/W ratios and green spaces to adapt urban climate change. The study focuses on thermal comfort issues of humans in urban areas and performs evaluation in terms of physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), based on long-term data. Meteorological data of air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation over a 7-year period (2003–2010) were used. A 3D street canyon model was designed with RayMan Pro software to simulate the influence of urban configuration on urban thermal climate. The following configurations and setups were used. The model canyon was 500 m in length, with widths 9, 21, and 44 m. Its height varied in steps of 2.5 m, from 5 to 40 m. The canyon could be rotated in steps of 15°. The results show that urban design parameters such as width, height, and orientation modify thermal conditions within street canyons. A northeast–southwest orientation can reduce PET during daytime more than other scenarios. Forestry management and green areas are recommended to promote shade on pedestrian areas and on façades, and to improve bioclimate thermal stress, in particular for H/W ratio less than 0.5. The method and results can be applied by architects and urban planners interested in developing responsive guidelines for urban climate issues.     

Thermal comfort in an east–west oriented street canyon in Freiburg (Germany) under hot summer conditions

Summary Field-measurements were conducted in an urban street canyon with an east–west orientation, and a height-to-width ratio H/W = 1 during cloudless summer weather in 2003 in Freiburg, Germany. This experimental work adds to the knowledge available on the microclimate of an urban canyon and its impact on human comfort. Air temperature T _a , air humidity VP, wind speed v and direction dd were measured continuously. All short-wave and long-wave radiation fluxes from the 3D surroundings were also measured. The degree of comfort was defined in terms of physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). Furthermore, the data gathered within the canyon were compared to data collected by a permanent urban climate station with the aim of furthering the understanding of microclimatic changes due to street geometry. Changes in the meteorological variables T _a , v and dd in the canyon in comparison to an unobstructed roof level location were found to be in good agreement with previous studies, i.e., a small increase of T _a in the canyon adjacent to irradiated surfaces, and a good correlation of v and dd between canyon and roof levels. The daily dynamics of canyon facet irradiances and their impacts on the heat gained by a pedestrian were strongly dependent on street geometry and orientation. Thermal stress was mostly attributable to solar exposure. Under cloudless summer weather, a standing body was found to absorb, on average, 74% of heat in the form of long-wave irradiance and 26% as short-wave irradiance. Shading the pedestrian as well as the surrounding surfaces is, hence, the first strategy in mitigating heat stress in summer under hot conditions.     

Temperature and precipitation changes in different environments in the arid region of northwest China

Using 51 meteorological stations in the arid region of northwest China in the mountain, oasis, and the desert areas obtained from 1960 to 2010, this paper conducted a comparative analysis for detecting temperature and precipitation changes in the diverse environments. In recent 50 years, temperature has increased at 0.325, 0.339, and 0.360 °C per decade in the mountain, oasis, and the desert areas, respectively; and also, precipitation has increased at 10.15, 6.29, and 0.87 mm per decade, but in which the increasing trend of precipitation in desert area was not significant. Before the 1990s, the increase in temperature was the fastest in the desert area, up to 0.214 °C per decade, but was the slowest in the mountain area, only 0.103 °C per decade. The temperature rising was faster after the 1990s, 0.606 °C per decade, in the oasis area was fastest, but was the slowest in the desert region with 0.402 °C per decade. The precipitation in each area was stable from 1960 to 1986, but an increase in the oasis and mountain area was larger from 1987 to 2010.     

Chemical characterization of water-soluble aerosols in different residential environments of semi aridregion of India

This paper deals with the atmospheric concentrations of PM₅ and PM_2.5 particulate matter and its water soluble constituents along with the size distribution of ions and spatial variation at three different residential environments in a semiarid region in India. Samples were collected from the indoors and outdoors of urban, rural and roadside sites of Agra during October 2007–March 2008. The mean concentrations of PM_2.5 indoors and outdoors were 178 μgm⁻³ and 195 μgm⁻³ while the mean concentrations of PM₅ indoors and outdoors were 231.8 μgm⁻³ and 265.2 μgm⁻³ respectively. Out of the total aerosol mass, water soluble constituents contributed an average of 80% (33% anions, 50% cations) in PM₅ and 70% (29% anions, 43% cations) in PM_2.5. The indoor–outdoor ratio of water soluble components suggested additional aerosol indoor sources at rural and roadside sites. Indoor–outdoor correlations were also determined which show poor relationships among concentrations of aerosol ions at all three sites. Univariate Pearson correlation coefficients among water soluble aerosols were determined to evaluate the relationship between aerosol ions in indoor and outdoor air.     

Responses of urban heat island in Atlanta to different land-use scenarios

The urban heat island (UHI) effect changes heat and water cycles in urban areas, and has been accused of elevating energy consumption, deteriorating living environment, and increasing mortality rates. Understanding various UHI effects necessitates a systematic modeling approach. A major problem in UHI simulations is that urban areas were either considered to have only one category of land use/cover or outdated in land use/cover patterns due to the lack of high resolution data. Therefore, this study aims at integrating up-to-date remotely sensed land use/cover data with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF/UCM)/Urban Canopy Model modeling systems to simulate surface temperature patterns in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, three land-use scenarios, i.e., spontaneous scenario (SS), concentrated scenario (CS), and local policy scenario (LPS), were designed and incorporated into the modeling. Five numerical experiments were conducted by using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to explore the impact of urbanization-induced land-cover changes on temperature patterns. Land use and land-cover patterns under all three scenarios suggested that urban growth would continue through in-filling development and outward expansion. Compared to temperature simulations in 2011, temperature maps corresponding to the three urban growth scenarios showed warmer and cooler temperature patterns outside and inside the urban core, respectively. Analysis of the mean diurnal temperature cycle suggested that the highest temperature difference of 3.9 K was observed between 2011 and the LPS, and occurred around 22:00 local time. Overall, the simulations showed different UHI effects respond to the land-use scenarios in the summer. It is recommended for urban managers and policy makers to reflect on the potential impacts of alternative urban growth policies on thermal environment.     

Long-term variations in thermal comfort in Vienna

Summary A human energy balance model is calculated using the homogeneous data set of Vienna, Austria (48°N and 16° E). Variations in the different stages of comfort since 1873 are discussed. The historical data are then used to generate scenarios of a changing climate and calculate the impact of these variations on thermal comfort.With 5 Figures     

Effect of the position of the visible sky in determining the sky view factor on micrometeorological and human thermal comfort conditions in urban street canyons

Poor daytime and night-time micrometeorological conditions are issues that influence the quality of environmental conditions and can undermine a comfortable human lifestyle. The sky view factor (SVF) is one of the essential physical parameters used to assess the micrometeorological conditions and thermal comfort levels within city streets. The position of the visible sky relative to the path of the sun, in the cardinal and ordinal directions, has not been widely discerned as a parameter that could have an impact on the micrometeorological conditions of urban streets. To investigate this parameter, different urban streets that have a similar SVF value but diverse positions of visible sky were proposed in different street directions intersecting with the path of the sun, namely N–S, NE–SW and NW–SE. The effects of daytime and night-time micrometeorological variables and human thermal comfort variables on the street were investigated by applying ENVI-met V3.1 Beta software. The results show that the position of the visible sky has a greater influence on the street’s meteorological and human thermal comfort conditions than the SVF value. It has the ability to maximise or minimise the mean radiation temperature (Tmrt, °C) and the physiological equivalent temperature (PET, °C) at street level. However, the visible sky positioned to the zenith in a NE–SW or N–S street direction and to the SW of a NW–SE street direction achieves the best daytime micrometeorological and thermal comfort conditions. Alternatively, the visible sky positioned to the NE for a NW–SE street direction, to the NW and the zenith for a NE–SW street direction and to the zenith for a N–S street direction reduces the night-time air temperature (Ta, °C). Therefore, SVF and the position of the visible sky relative to the sun’s trajectory, in the cardinal and ordinal directions, must be considered during urban street planning to better understand the resultant micrometeorological and human thermal comfort conditions.     

京津冀地区人体舒适度的时空特征

利用1960-2005年京津冀地区66个地面气象站气候资料日值数据集,基于人体舒适度指数和风寒温度模型分析京津冀地区人体舒适度时空特征,计算了京津冀地区春、夏、秋、冬季各站逐日人体舒适度指数和冬季风寒温度。通过人体舒适度指数聚类分析得出人体舒适度指数分区,在此基础上探讨各分区具有代表性站点的各级舒适日数比例和冬季人体舒适度的时空特征及空间分布的主导因素。结果表明：京津冀地区人体舒适度空间分布大致可以分成3种类型,即热舒适平原山地区、冷舒适滨海区、冷不舒适高山区;依据风寒温度京津冀地区冬季人体舒适度分为冀北、冀南两区,整个地区风寒温度增大趋势显著;京津冀地区人体舒适度与高程、纬度变化均存在显著负相关,其空间分型的主导因素为高程、纬度的变化。     

京津冀地区人体舒适度的时空特征

利用1960—2005年京津冀地区66个地面气象站气候资料日值数据集,基于人体舒适度指数和风寒温度模型,分析京津冀地区人体舒适度时空特征,计算了京津冀地区春、夏、秋、冬季各站逐日人体舒适度指数和冬季风寒温度。通过人体舒适度指数聚类分析得出人体舒适度指数分区,在此基础上探讨各分区具有代表性站点的各级舒适日数比例和冬季人体舒适度的时空特征及空间分布的主导因素。结果表明：京津冀地区人体舒适度空间分布大致可以分成3种类型,即热舒适平原山地区、冷舒适滨海区和冷不舒适高山区;依据风寒温度,京津冀地区冬季人体舒适度分为冀北、冀南两区,整个地区风寒温度增大趋势显著;京津冀地区人体舒适度与高程、纬度变化均存在显著负相关,其空间分型主导因素为高程、纬度的变化。     

南京市区不同下垫面对近地层温度影响

利用南京市内设立在4种不同典型下垫面的自动气象观测站逐时温度资料,采用对比分析方法,分析不同下垫面对城市近地层温度的影响.结果表明,城市绿地在日出日落后温度变化最明显,春秋两季温度变化速率超过2℃/h,夏冬两季也可达1.2℃/h,这使得绿地夜晚温度较低;城市水体日出日落后的温度变化速率最小,因而城市水体夜晚温度较高,尤其在春秋两季最为明显;城市中的生活区和校区在日出日落后温度变化速率稍高于城市水体,夜间温度一般高于绿地,低于水体.另外,不同下垫面对城市气温的季节变化也有影响,城市水体秋冬季节温度高,绿地在夏季温度低,使得温度的平均年变化减小;城市生活区和校区温度的季节变化特征与前两者相反.温度年变化在四季转换过程中的不均匀性在不同下垫面上也有不同的特点,在冬半年,城市水体温度的月际变化较大,而绿地月际变化小,夏半年则出现完全相反的情况.     

Evaluation of urban thermal environments in commercial and residential spaces in Okayama City, Japan, using the wet-bulb globe temperature index

We estimated wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) using measured meteorological data to understand the bioclimates of human living spaces during the summer season. Our research focused on commercial and residential areas of Okayama City, Japan (population ～700,000). The commercial spaces (CO) mainly consisted of multi-story office buildings, whereas the residential spaces (RE) consisted of one- or two-story residential buildings. On a fine day with southeast winds, the spatially averaged WBGT measured in the CO was higher than that in the RE. The difference was statistically significant and would have caused noticeable discomfort and a high risk of heat disorder for occupants of the CO over the long term. For instance, at 1900 Japan Standard Time (JST), the maximum difference in the WBGT between the CO and RE sites was 2.0°C (23.5°C for the CO and 21.5°C for the RE). From 1800 to 1900 JST, the wet-bulb temperature in the CO was still 1.5–2.0°C higher than that in the RE, even though both areas had the same dry-bulb temperature. This indicates that the CO retained greater amounts of water vapor for longer periods compared to the RE. The wet-bulb temperature in the CO increased rapidly at most observation points when the southeast sea breeze arrived. In contrast, in the RE, the wet-bulb temperature decreased until evening. This difference was caused by moist air transported from a river about 1 km upwind from the CO. The moist air forced an increase in the WBGT and elevated the risk of heat disorder in the CO. The spatially averaged globe temperature of the CO at 1500 JST was 6.2°C lower than that at the RE, causing the WBGT of the CO to decrease. The results suggest that the higher WBGT in the CO was caused by higher wet-bulb temperatures. On a day with southwest winds, the CO and RE showed no difference in WBGT because the river was not included in the upwind source area.