Numerical evaluation of tree canopy shape near noise barriers to improve downwind shielding

The screen-induced refraction of sound by wind results in a reduced noise shielding for downwind receivers. Placing a row of trees behind a highway noise barrier modifies the wind field, and this was proven to be an important curing measure in previous studies. In this paper, the wind field modification by the canopy of trees near noise barriers is numerically predicted by using common quantitative tree properties. A realistic range of pressure resistance coefficients are modeled, for two wind speed profiles. As canopy shape influences vertical gradients in the horizontal component of the wind velocity, three typical shapes are simulated. A triangular crown shape, where the pressure resistance coefficient is at maximum at the bottom of the canopy and decreases linearly toward the top, is the most interesting configuration. A canopy with uniform aerodynamic properties with height behaves similarly at low wind speeds. The third crown shape that was modeled is the ellipse form, which has a worse performance than the first two types, but still gives a significant improvement compared to barriers without trees. With increasing wind speed, the optimum pressure resistance coefficient increases. Coniferous trees are more suited than deciduous trees to increase the downwind noise barrier efficiency.