New inflow boundary conditions for modelling the neutral equilibrium atmospheric boundary layer in computational wind engineering

Modelling neutral equilibrium atmospheric boundary layers (ABL) in CFD is an important aspect in computational wind engineering (CWE) applications. In this paper, new inflow boundary conditions are introduced from the viewpoint that these boundary conditions should satisfy the turbulence model employed. The new set of inflow turbulence boundary conditions is an approximate solution to the standard k-epsilon model transport equations. The capability of these boundary conditions to produce an equilibrium ABL is demonstrated by performing numerical simulations in an empty domain. The new inflow turbulence boundary conditions in this paper support future practical applications in CWE and future research in modelling equilibrium ABLs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.