Stratified flow over non-uniform surfaces: Turbulent energy model

A turbulent energy model is developed to simulate the response of a neutrally stratified atmospheric boundary layer to sudden changes in surface roughness. A mechanism of turbulent energy transfer is proposed, based upon the results of numerical experiments, that explains the distribution of shear stress and hence the distribution of velocity profiles in the atmospheric surface layer. Two length scales associated with the turbulent energy equation are obtained from experimental data and the law of the wall. Turbulent energy is also predicted.The predicted growth of the internal boundary layer is slower than that obtained from mixing-length models. Also, the predicted surface shear stress obtained from the turbulent energy model is in better agreement with field data than that obtained from mixing-length models.