Detailed investigation of vegetation effects on microclimate by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in a tropical urban environment

In light of globally increasing temperatures, accentuated in cities by the urban heat island effect, planners and designers are looking for new, quantitative methods to assess performance their designs terms ecosystem services provided vegetation. Among these services, improved microclimate conditions particularly important human thermal comfort health. this study, an scene tropical city Singapore is numerically investigated with a fully-integrated, three-dimensional model implemented OpenFOAM. Mass transport air storage effect environment coupled so that daily turbulent using steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) can be solved iteratively unsteady moisture transfer from surfaces. Vegetation modeled as porous medium flow moist leaf energy balance used determine fluxes transpiration at The analysis shows influence park upon temperatures comfort. Cooling intensity 1 °C observed downwind within region 27 m incoming wind speed 2.3 s?1, which reduces 0.6 distance 117 park. Universal Thermal Comfort Index (UTCI) reduction stress around approach presented here provide specific guidelines frame expectations on magnitude spatial extent local modifications generated city.