Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-986
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-986
22 Nov 2022
 | 22 Nov 2022

Evaluation of a wind tunnel designed to investigate the response of evaporation to changes in the incoming longwave radiation at a water surface. I. Thermodynamic characteristics

Michael L. Roderick, Chathuranga Jayarathne, Angus J. Rummery, and Callum J. Shakespeare

Abstract. To investigate the sensitivity of evaporation to changing longwave radiation we developed a new experimental facility that locates a shallow water bath at the base of an insulated wind tunnel with evaporation measured using an accurate digital balance. The new facility has the unique ability to impose variations in the incoming longwave radiation at the water surface whilst holding the air temperature, humidity and wind speed in the wind tunnel at fixed values. The underlying scientific aim is to isolate the effect of a change in the incoming longwave radiation on both evaporation and surface temperature. In this initial paper we describe the configuration and operation of the system and outline the experimental design and approach. We then evaluate the thermodynamic properties of the new system and demonstrate that the evaporation, air temperature, humidity and wind speed are measured with sufficient precision to support the scientific aims. We find that the shallow water bath naturally adopts a steady state temperature that closely approximates the thermodynamic wet bulb temperature.

Michael L. Roderick et al.

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-986', Bernd Jähne, 10 Mar 2023
    • CC1: 'Author Reply on RC1', Michael Roderick, 15 Mar 2023
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Callum Shakespeare, 24 Mar 2023
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-986', Nathan Laxague, 22 Mar 2023
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Callum Shakespeare, 24 Mar 2023

Michael L. Roderick et al.

Data sets

Wind tunnel data Roderick, Jayarathne, Rummery, Shakespeare https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7111987

Michael L. Roderick et al.

Viewed

Total article views: 317 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
217 84 16 317 4 4
  • HTML: 217
  • PDF: 84
  • XML: 16
  • Total: 317
  • BibTeX: 4
  • EndNote: 4
Views and downloads (calculated since 22 Nov 2022)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 22 Nov 2022)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 317 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 317 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 02 Jun 2023
Download
Short summary
Terrestrial radiation emitted by the Earth's atmosphere (longwave) is a key component of the energy balance at the Earth's surface. An important research question is how this terrestrial radiation is coupled to evaporation of water at the surface. In this work, we evaluate a new laboratory wind tunnel system designed to measure the evaporation rate of a water surface exposed to different levels of terrestrial radiation.