Bio-inspired Design and Evaluation of Porous Fences for Mitigating Fugitive Dust

Fugitive dust has been recognized as an important contributor to air pollution, and artificial porous fence is one of the most effective management strategies to reduce fugitive dust in open areas. To improve the shelter effects and efficiency of Particulate Matter (PM) reduction of traditional fences, this study proposed five bionic fences and their capability was evaluated through wind tunnel tests. The results indicated that all of bionic fences presented better efficiency in reducing wind speed and PM concentrations compared with traditional fences, and they were more efficient in capturing PM10. Among the bionic fences, the non-woven cloth material with four-leave opening presented the best capability both in wind speed and PM reduction. The proposed bionic fences may be further developed and studied for future application in capturing fine PM and adapting to the wind.