Installation, Commissioning and Operation of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Research Facility (ABLRF)

Abstract

This paper describes a recently installed and commissioned atmospheric boundary layer research facility (ABLRF) for high-fidelity field measurements of atmospheric turbulence and wind loads on structures. The goal is to characterise gust wind events and three-dimensional turbulence length scales, which are driving factors for dynamic effects such as torsional flutter and galloping on flexible structures, the turbulent transport and diffusion of dust and particle concentrations for heliostat mirror soiling, herbicide spray drift and propagation of pollutants in plumes. The ABLRF provides increased precision and resolution of near-surface turbulence data in the lowest 10 metres, with high-frequency measurements of the intensities and length scales of horizontal and vertical turbulence components. Preliminary analysis of mean wind velocity and turbulence data during a high-wind afternoon shows that the site is characterised by an open country terrain with logarithmic roughness height between 0.01 m and 0.03 m and friction velocity of 0.3 m/s.