Investigation of Windbreak Systems to Control Dust Generation and Dispersion in a Reclaimed Land: a Numerical Approach

Windbreak systems play an active role in improving the quality of the natural environment, accelerating the development of agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, and increasing ecological, social and economical benefits. In a vast reclaimed land, where dusts are of enormous concern, windbreak's main purpose can be exclusively to control soil erosion, dust generation and dispersion. Artificial and natural windbreaks are very effective in reducing the wind velocity in the dust source areas, where wind is the main catalyst of soil erosion, dust generation and diffusion. In this study, numerical simulation was utilized to evaluate the performance of both artificial and natural windbreaks in minimizing wind velocity. Windbreak fences of various height and porosity arranged in an array with different gap distances were studied. For natural windbreaks, the effectiveness of trees in reducing the wind velocity was measured and quantified. Field experiments and wind tunnel studies were conducted to establish the validity of the simulation models. Simulation results were evaluated and suitable windbreak design for artificial and natural windbreaks were recommended. The numerical technique used in the study has proven its validity in investigating dusts generation and diffusion which saves significant amount of time, labor and cost.