A comparative analysis of wind‐tunnel and atmospheric air‐flow patterns about single and successive barriers

Abstract

Atmospheric wind velocities were measured aft of a single and a series of three successive snow fences and compared to velocities measured aft of models of the fences placed in a wind tunnel. Results indicate the wind‐tunnel approach gives a reasonable estimate of the effectiveness of full‐scale surface barriers under atmospheric conditions. It is also shown that a series of three successive barriers is not enough to obtain a beneficial accumulative ground effect. A general lessening of velocity with distance traveled over the successive barriers indicates, however, that an accumulative effect might be obtained in a system containing a larger number of successive barriers extending for a great length. The barriers are shown to increase the velocity fluctuations of the wind from two to nine times at different locations aft of a single barrier. Maximum fluctuations in a series of successive barriers were found to occur at the 0.5‐ft elevation aft of the second barrier.