Mean Wind Velocity Distribution at Near-ground Level Obtained Through Field Measurements

Abstract

Mean wind velocity profiles enable researchers to conduct efficient and accurate analyses of a wide variety of urban microclimatic problems, such as pollution dispersion, heat island effect and pedestrian wind comfort. However, due to the heterogeneity in the complex urban context, the wind profile at near-ground level within the real urban context remains insufficiently investigated. The present study aims to measure the near-ground level mean wind profiles in an industrial park. To this practical end, a sonic anemometer was equipped to a height adjustable bar on a mobile measurement platform. Through adjusting the sonic anemometer’s height, the mean wind velocities at different heights of the near-ground level were measured. Results indicate that the mean wind velocities’ variation along the near-ground heights measured at the site exposed to open and flat upwind areas can be reasonably captured by the power-law profile, while the other two conventional profiles, i.e. the log-law and the exponential profiles, show different levels of inaccuracy.