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Atmospheric flow measurements using the PIV and HWA techniques
doi:10.5028/jatm.2010.02027410

Luciana Bassi Marinho Pires*
National Institute for Space Research
São José dos Campos – Brazil
lupires@uga.edu

Suelen T. Roballo
National Institute for Space Research
São José dos Campos – Brazil
suelen.roballo@cptec.inpe.br

Gilberto Fisch
Institute of Aeronautics and Space
São José dos Campos – Brazil
gfisch@iae.cta.br

Ana Cristina Avelar
Institute of Aeronautics and Space
São José dos Campos – Brazil
anacristina@iae.cta.br

Roberto da Mota Girardi
Technological Institute of Aeronautics
São José dos Campos – Brazil
giradi@ita.br

Ralf Gielow
National Institute for Space Research
São José dos Campos – Brazil
ralf.gielow@cptec.inpe.br

*author for correspondence

Abstract:

Alcântara Space Center (ASC) is the Brazilian gate to the space where rockets of different sizes are launched. At ASC there is a relative topographical variation, coastal cliff, which modifies the atmospheric boundary layer characteristics and can cause interference for operations of rockets. In the present work, a simplified model (mock-up) was studied in a wind tunnel. A scale factor of 1:1000 was used and the atmospheric flow was measured using the hot wire anemometer (HWA) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) techniques. Using of HWA it was possible to calculate values of average wind speed and fluctuations in a set of points of the section of tests that representing the region of the ASC. Through these measures, other meteorological parameters that represent the atmospheric flow, such as the friction velocity (u*), the roughness length (z0) from the logarithmic profile and the alpha exponent (ɑ) of the power law were calculated. With the use of the PIV´s technique, the streamlines and the vorticity fields were obtained and it was noticed that the vorticity generated downwind of the coastal cliff has a strong turbulence (vorticities around 2000 sˉ¹). A rectangular building (simulating the mobile integration tower) was inserted at the mock-up and the downwind turbulence was similar to the one generated by the coastal cliff.

Keywords:

Alcantara Space Center, Wind profile, Turbulent intensity, Vorticity, Stream lines.

J. Aerosp.Technol. Manag., São José dos Campos, Vol.2, No.2, pp. 127-136, May-Aug., 2010
Received: 08/06/10
Accepted: 26/07/10

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