The visualization of tree barriers as windbreaks in urban areas using the EDDY3D tool

The role of trees as natural windbreak barriers is significant in various aspects, not only in reducing wind velocity but also in mitigating odors and gas emissions. The effectiveness of these barriers depends on the number of tree rows, tree height, and the spacing between tree rows. Tree visualization is implemented using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) programs to calculate the wind velocity reduction percentage before and after the application of a tree barrier. This research aims to develop a novel measurement tool to quantify wind velocity reduction using the EDDY3D tool. The objectives of the present study are to present CFD models that visualize the effects of trees on wind flow regulation and to introduce EDDY3D as one of the latest CFD models for simulating airflow. To calculate the wind velocity reduction percentage following the application of a tree barrier in the study area, a series of visualization tests were conducted using EDDY3D. These tests took into account tree height, arrangement, number of rows, and spacing between individual trees and tree rows. The outcome is a quantitative tool for measuring wind velocity reduction, which can be applied in future research on wind dynamics and tree barrier effectiveness. The study demonstrates that EDDY3D-based simulations can effectively assess wind reduction percentages in tree windbreak configurations, revealing that positioning the tree barrier closer to the receptor optimizes wind speed reduction, while mid-distance placement diminishes its effectiveness.
Bajzat, T., Enman, J., Hennessy, J., Parsons, M., & Yurdakul, L. (2021). Investigating Incentives for Regenerative Farming Practices. Western Science. Available from: https://www. uwo.ca/mes [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Beamish, A. (2022). A much-abused tree: The rise and fall of the Lombardy poplar. Studies in the History of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, 42:120-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/14601176.2022.2059287
Bitog, J. P., & Lee, I. B. (2013). Investigation of windbreak systems to control dust generation and diffusion in a reclaimed land: A numerical approach. Acta Horticulturae, 1008:37-44. https://doi.org/10.17660/ACTAHORTIC.2013.1008.3
Brandle, J. R., Takle, E., & Zhou, X. (2022). Windbreak practices. In: North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Available from: https://acsess. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9780891183785. ch5 [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Brontowiyono, W., Sihayuardhi, E. R., Maziya, F. B., & Hakim, L. (2022). Distribution patterns of ambient air quality pre and during pandemic in the urban area of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 23:116-128. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/152362
Chen, B., & Akamine, H. (2021). Distribution and utilization of homestead windbreak Fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica Merr.) trees: An ethnobotanical approach. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 17:11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-021-00434-3
Coleman, B. R. W., Thevathasan, N. V., Gordon, A. M., & Ramachandran Nair, P. K. (2021). An agroecological foundation for temperate agroforestry. In: North American Agroforestry: An Integrated Science and Practice. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy, Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780891183785.ch3
De Luca, F. (2019). Environmental Performance-Driven Urban Design: Parametric Design Method for the Integration of Daylight and Urban Comfort Analysis in Cold Climates. In: International Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Futures. Available from: https://www. springerprofessional.de/en/environmental-performance-driven-urban-design-parametric-design-/16897770 [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Eddy. (2020). Eddy Airflow and Microclimate Simulations for Rhino and Grasshopper. Available from: https://www. eddy3d.com [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
ENSIMS EPW Map Tool. (2021). ENSIMS. Available from: https:// app.ensims.com/epw [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
EPW Map. (2023). Ladybug Tools. Available from: https://www. ladybug.tools/epwmap [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Estrado, E., Turrin, M., & Eigenraam, P. (2020). Optimization of Complex Geometry High-Rise Buildings based on Wind Load Analysis. In: Proceedings of the Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD 2020). Society for Modeling and Simulation International (SCS). Available from: https://pure.tudelft.nl/ws/portalfiles/ portal/73476946/paper_simaud2020_proceedings.pdf [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Graham, J., Berardi, U., Turnbull, G., & McKaye, R. (2020). Microclimate analysis as a design driver of architecture. Climate, 8:72. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli8060072
Guo, Z., Yang, X., Wu, X., Zou, X., Zhang, C., Fang, H., et al. (2021). Optimal design for vegetative windbreaks using 3D numerical simulations. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 298-299:108290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2020.108290 https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2204.01117
Hu, Y., Peng, Y., Gao, Z., & Xu, F. (2022). Application of CFD plug-ins integrated into urban and building design platforms for performance simulations: A literature review. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 12:148-174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2022.06.005
Huo, H., & Chen, F. (2023). Study of effects of different vegetation model parameter settings on quantitative CFD simulation of urban spatial air temperature and wind-field. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 45:1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2023.2208715
Kabošová, L., Katunský, D., & Kmet, S. (2020). Wind-based parametric design in the changing climate. Applied Sciences, 10:8603. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10238603
Kastner, P., & Dogan, T. (2020). A cylindrical meshing methodology for annual urban computational fluid dynamics simulations. Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 13:59-68. https://doi.org/10.1080/19401493.2019.1692906
Kastner, P., & Dogan, T. (2020). Predicting Space Usage by Multi-Objective Assessment of Outdoor Thermal Comfort around a University Campus. In: SimAUD 2020. Society for Modeling and Simulation International (SCS). Available from: https://simaud.org/2020/preprints/89.pdf [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Khamzina, A., Sommer, R., Lamers, J. P. A., & Vlek, P. L. G. (2009). Transpiration and early growth of tree plantations established on degraded cropland over shallow saline groundwater table in Northwest Uzbekistan. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 149:1865-1874. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2009.06.015
Khodayari, N., Hami, A., & Farrokhi, N. (2021). The effect of trees with irregular canopy on windbreak function in Urban Areas. International Journal of Architectural Engineering and Urban Planning, 31:1-12. https://doi.org/1022068/ijaup.31.3.610
Lee, S., Ha, T., Seo, S., Song, H., Woo, S., Jang, Y., et al. (2021). Wind tunnel evaluation of aerodynamic coefficients of Thuja occidentalis and mesh net. Journal of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers, 63:63-71. https://doi.org/10.5389/KSAE.2021.63.5.063
Leuty, T. (2004). Using Windbreaks to Reduce Odors Associated with Livestock Production Facilities. Horticulture/ Agroforestry Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture. Available from: https://kellytreefarm.com/wp-content/ uploads/2017/10/windbreak-shelterbelt-odor-control.pdf [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Lin, X., Barrington, S., Nicell, J., Choinière, D., & Vézina, A. (2006). Influence of windbreaks on livestock odour dispersion plume in the field. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 116:263-272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2006.02.014
Liu, D., Rist, F., Pottmann, H., & Michels, D. (2022). UrbanFlow: Designing Comfortable Outdoor Areas. arXiv Cornell University.
Masilamani, P., & Alagesan, A. (2021). Coastal agroforestry: Challenges and opportunities. In: Coastal Agriculture and Climate Change. United States: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group. Available from: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/ books/edit/10.1201/9781003245285/coastal-agriculture-climate-change-prakash-arivudainambi-rameshkumar-babu [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
McNeel. (2023). Eddy3D. food4Rhino. Available from: https:// www.food4rhino.com/en/app/eddy3d [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Nair, P. K. R., Kumar, B. M., & Nair, V. D. (2022). Agroforestry systems in the temperate zone. In: An Introduction to Agroforestry. Berlin, Germany: Springer. Available from: https://ww.file:///c:/users/user/downloads/5610-18568- 1-pb%20(1).pdf [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Natanian, J., Kastner, P., Dogan, T., & Auer, T. (2020). From energy performative to livable Mediterranean cities: An annual outdoor thermal comfort and energy balance cross-climatic typological study. Energy and Buildings, 224:110283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.110283
Pal, A. (2023). Role of landscape in mitigation of urban heat Island effect. Journal of Architectural Designing, 5:12-19. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7844413
Pretel, E. G., Navarro, M. G., Tovar, C. V., Hernández, Y. G., & Castilla, P. F. (2022). Incident factors in the quality of cocoa almonds obtained in small agricultural production units. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1253:012003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/1253/1/01200
Sakiyama, N. R., Frick, J., Bejat, T., & Garrecht, H. (2021). Using CFD to evaluate natural ventilation through a 3D parametric modeling approach. Energies, 14:2197. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14082197
Simulation Made Easy. (2023). DesignBuilder. Available from: https://designbuilder.co.uk [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Smith, M. M., Bentrup, G., Kellerman, T., MacFarland, K., Straight, R., & Ameyaw, L. (2021). Windbreaks in the United States: A systematic review of producer-reported benefits, challenges, management activities and drivers of adoption. Agricultural Systems, 187:103032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.103032
Taleb, H. M., & Kayed, M. (2021). Applying porous trees as a windbreak to lower desert dust concentration: Case study of an urban community in Dubai. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 57, 126915. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2020.126915
Terziev, A., Panteleev, Y., Iliev, I., & Beloev, H. (2021). Evaluation of the influence of the windbreak trees on the change of wind shear in weakly complex terrains. E3S Web of Conferences, 286:02015. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202128602015
The Beaufort Wind Scale. (2021). MetMatters Royal Meteorological Society. Available from: https://www.rmets. org/metmatters/beaufort-wind-scale [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Udawatta, R. P. (2021). Flood control and air cleaning regulatory ecosystem services of agroforestry. In: Agroforestry and Ecosystem Services. Berlin, Germany: Springer Nature, Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/355492110_flood_control_and_air_cleaning_ regulatory_ecosystem_services_of_agroforestry [Last accessed on 2025 Mar 03].
Wehrle, J., Jung, C., Giometto, M., Christen, A., & Schindler, D. (2024). Introducing new morphometric parameters to improve urban canopy air flow modeling: A CFD to machine-learning study in real urban environments. Urban Climate, 58:102173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2024.102173
Yoo, S. Y., Choi, S., Koo, N., Kim, T., Park, C. R., & Park, W. H. (2021). A 10-year analysis on the reduction of particulate matter at the green buffer of the Sihwa industrial complex. Sustainability, 13:5538. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105538