[Ivo]

Hi,

I recently started using OpenFoam for modeling atmospheric processes. Since I am new to the program and OpenFoam version 1.7 includes a tutorial case, turbineSiting, which uses a simulated atmospheric boundary layer I decided to start by stuying this tutorial. The first problem I encountered was the fact that the Allrun script references the non-existing solver simpleWindFoam. However, since the case seems to run just fine using simpleFoam I used this instead.

Having run the case successfully I started to play with the input parameters and found out that the atmBoundaryLayerInletVelocity boundary condition displays some very strange behaviour. Defining the ABL by setting the velocity Uref to 15 m/s at a height Href of 300 meters and not changing any of the other parameters I get a velocity profile as shown in the attachment. The profile clearly doesn't reach a velocity of 15 m/s at the specified height of 300 meters, but around the 300 meter mark it does quickly increase to that value, after which it stays constant.

The formulas in the boundary condition source code seem valid enough to me, so perhaps there is a problem with one of the parameters which get passed to/from the routine? Or maybe simpleFoam is an improper solver for this problem after all?

Thank you very much in advance!