Experimental study in a rotating tank on the interaction between turbulent flow and obstacles

This study investigates the interaction between simplified urban-like obstacles and boundary layer flows under rotational effects through laboratory experiments in the 5-m diameter rotating water tank TURLAB at the Physics Department of the University of Turin, Italy. Idealized building arrays were used to analyze how obstacle geometry influences flow, turbulence, and momentum transfer at the urban scale. The Rossby number (Ro) was varied to explore different regimes where rotational effects compete with inertial forces. Two different buildings height were compared in order to investigate how this geometric factor influences the flow characteristics with respect to the rotations. The comparison examines flow, turbulence fields, and vertical profiles of turbulent quantities within and outside urban canyons. The results contribute to the understanding of how rotation modifies boundary layer flow interactions with urban geometries, providing experimental insights relevant for urban flow modeling and environmental applications.