Impact of near-surface wind conditions and soil properties on horizontal pore gas velocities in wind-exposed porous media

About the seminar

Near-surface, horizontal pore gas velocity profiles as a function of depth in four dry granular porous media for different combinations of wind speed and wind gust frequency were measured under controlled (wind tunnel) conditions, using N2 as tracer gas. A novel tracer tracking approach was tested and applied. Results showed that especially average wind speed, and medium air permeability, significantly influence horizontal pore gas velocity as a function of distance to the wind-exposed surface. Results further indicate that the pore velocity profile as a function of distance to the wind exposed surface can be approximated by a simple exponential relationship.

About the speaker

Dr. Tjalfe Poulsen received his first master's degree in environmental engineering from Aalborg University, Denmark in 1991 and subsequently spent 4 years at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, receiving his second master's degree (1994) and initiating his PhD studies. He received his PhD degree in 1997 from Aalborg University, Denmark, followed by 2 years as a postdoctoral fellow at Hiroshima University, Japan. He has since worked at Aalborg University; Xi'an Jiaotong – Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou, China; Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel and Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, China.