A systematic characterisation of canopy density based on turbulent-structure penetration

Turbulent flows over canopies of rigid elements with different geometries and Reynolds numbers (Re) are investigated to identify and characterise different canopy density regimes. In the sparse regime, turbulence penetrates relatively unhindered within the canopy, whereas in the dense regime, the penetration is limited. A common measure of canopy density is the ratio of frontal to bed area, the frontal density $λ_f$. This is effective for canopies with no preferential orientation, but we observe that it does not accurately predict the density regime for less conventional ones, so it may not encapsulate the governing physics. Instead, we propose density metrics based on the position and extent of eddies of intense Reynolds shear stress. We analyse a series of direct simulations for isotropic and anisotropic layouts, across a range of $λ_f$, height, element width-to-pitch ratio and Re. Canopies with streamwise-packed elements but large spanwise gaps allow significant turbulence penetration, and appear sparse compared to isotropic or spanwise-packed canopies with the same $λ_f$. Turbulence penetration depends essentially on the spanwise gap, and increases with it, but depends also on Re. A canopy can behave as dense at low Re, but as sparser as Re increases. This suggests that turbulence penetration depends on the size of the spanwise gap relative to the typical width of the overlying eddies. Turbulence penetrates easily when the spanwise gap is larger than the eddy size, and is essentially precluded from penetrating in the opposite case. A penetration length can then be defined that is of the order of the spanwise gap or the eddy size, whichever is smaller. If the penetration length is small compared to the canopy height, the canopy behaves as dense; if it is comparable, as intermediate; and if it is roughly equal or larger, as sparse.