Wind Tunnel Test of Sand Particle Size Distribution along Height in Blown Sand

Lifen Zhou, Zhengnong Li (), Bin Huang and Ou Pu
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Lifen Zhou: Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
Zhengnong Li: Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China
Bin Huang: College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Ou Pu: Key Laboratory of Building Safety and Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: In aeolian sand movement, the vertical distribution of sand particle size is intricately linked to sand flux, wind–sand flow field and dune development. In the present study, the distribution characteristics of sand grains in four particle size ranges at nine heights were investigated through sand blowing tests at five different reference wind speeds. The correlation between sand particle size and wind speed indicates that when the particle size was ≥0.35 mm, there was a linear variation of mass percentage with wind speed. When the particle size was <0.35 mm, when Z ≤ 0.15 m, a linear variation of mass percentage with wind speed was found; when Z > 0.15 m, an exponential modification in mass percentage with wind velocity was observed for sand grains falling within this specific range of particle sizes. The correlation between sand particle size and height indicates that when the reference wind speed was ≥15 m/s, the mass percentage of sand particles varied linearly with height. When the reference wind speed was ≤13.5 m/s, the mass percentage of sand grains with particle size in the 0.25–0.35 mm range increases first and then decreases with increasing height. The present results can provide a reference for subsequent research on the aerodynamic characteristics of wind–sand flow fields and on the mechanism of dune formation.

Keywords: aeolian sand movement; wind tunnel test; mass percentage; grain size distribution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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