Simulation of instantaneous drag force of slender flexible plant model in wind tunnel

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00020

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5): 24-33.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00020

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Simulation of instantaneous drag force of slender flexible plant model in wind tunnel

Yanmin Li(), Liqiang Kang()

State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Hazards Risk Governance （ESPHR） / Engineering Center of Desertification and Blown-Sand Control of Ministry of Education，Faculty of Geographical Science，Beijing Normal University，Beijing 100875，China

Received:2025-01-16 Revised:2025-02-20 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-09-27
Contact: Liqiang Kang

Abstract

Abstract:

To reveal the characteristics of instantaneous drag force caused by deformation of flexible plant， the instantaneous drag force of the slender flexible plant at different wind speeds is measured in a wind tunnel with sampling time interval of 0.01 s. The variation of statistical parameters of instantaneous drag force and drag coefficient with incoming wind speed are analyzed. The results show that both the instantaneous drag force and drag coefficient of the slender flexible plant fluctuate obviously with time. Mean drag force and RMS fluctuation drag force of plant increase with the incoming wind speed， while due to the flexibility， mean drag coefficient and RMS fluctuation drag coefficient of plant decrease with the incoming wind speed. The fluctuation intensities of drag force and drag coefficient of plant generally do not change with the incoming wind speed. A positive correlation is identified between RMS fluctuation drag force and RMS fluctuation wind speed， whereas a negative correlation is observed between RMS fluctuation drag coefficient and RMS fluctuation wind speed.

Key words: flexible plant, drag force, drag coefficient, wind tunnel experiment

CLC Number:

X169

Yanmin Li, Liqiang Kang. Simulation of instantaneous drag force of slender flexible plant model in wind tunnel[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2025, 45(5): 24-33.

Figures/Tables 13

Table 1 Drag coefficients of different plant types

植株类型	植物名称	阻力系数	测量方法	文献来源
灌木	Larrea tridentata（沙漠杉）	0.49	实地测量	[13]^†
	Sarcobatus vermiculatus （小螺旋沙棘）	1.43	实地测量	[15]^†
	Sarcobatus vermiculatus （大螺旋沙棘）	0.44		[15]^†
	Euonymus alatus（翅果卫矛）	0.42	风洞实验	[16]^†
	Hibiscus syriacus（木槿）	0.49~0.61	风洞实验	[20]
	Thuja occidentalis （绿宝石柏）	0.73~0.83
	Ilex crenata（冬青）	0.79
乔木	Picea pungens （蓝杉）	0.39	风洞实验	[16]^†
	Pinus contorta（曲松）	0.47	风洞实验	[17]
	Tsuga heterophylla （西部红杉）	0.47
	Thuja plicata （巨柏）	0.22
	Populus trichocarpa （毛白杨）	0.17	风洞实验	[18]
	Alnus rubra （红杨）	0.22
	Betula papyrifera（白桦）	0.15
	Acer macrophyllum （大叶枫）	0.26
	Populus tremuloides （颤杨）	0.28
	Acer×freemanii（弗里曼枫）	0.46	实地测量	[19]
	Quercus bicolor （双色橡）	0.38
	Quercus imbricaria （鳞叶橡）	0.43
	Prunus persica （桃）	0.38~0.78	风洞实验	[21]
	Pyrus spp （梨）	0.4~0.64
	Camellia oleifera （油茶）	0.56~0.83
草本	Pennisetum setaceum（狼尾草）	0.34	风洞实验	[16]^†

Fig.1 Flexible plant model

Fig.2 Wind speed profiles in wind tunnel （uf is the wind speed at height z， and uf0 is the incoming wind speed）

Fig.3 Sketch of instantaneous drag force measurement of plant in wind tunnel

Fig.4 Variation of instantaneous drag force of plant with time

Fig.5 Variation of mean drag force （A）， RMS fluctuation drag force （B） and drag force fluctuation intensity （C） of plant and rigid round stick with incoming wind speed

Fig.6 Variation of instantaneous drag coefficient of plant with time

Fig.7 Variation of mean drag coefficient （A）， RMS fluctuation drag coefficient （B） and drag coefficient fluctuation intensity （C） of plant and rigid round stick with wind speed

Fig.8 Side view of plant shape at different incoming wind speeds （the number indicates the size of incoming wind speed）

Fig.9 Bend angle of plant at different incoming wind speeds

Fig.10 Variation of drag coefficient of plant with bend angle

Fig.11 Relationship between RMS fluctuation drag force （A）， RMS fluctuation drag coefficient （B） of plant and RMS fluctuation wind speed （uf0，rms）

Fig.12 Probability density distribution of instantaneous drag force （A， C） and instantaneous drag coefficient （B， D） of plant

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Simulation of instantaneous drag force of slender flexible plant model in wind tunnel

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