GLOSSARY

Contraction ratio In wind-tunnel testing : ratio between upstream and downstream cross-
sectional area.

Porosity Measure of the void (i.e. empty) spaces in a material. Fraction of the
volume of the voids over the total volume. Value between 0 and 1 or
percentage between 0 and 100%.

Strouhal number Dimensionless number describing oscillation flow mechanisms.

St = nL/U, with n the frequency of the oscillation, L the characteristic
length and U the fluid velocity.

Zero pressure gradient Concept in atmospheric boundary layer wind-tunnel testing in which a
zero static pressure gradient in the streamwise direction is achieved by
an adjustable ceiling. Without adjustable ceiling, a non-zero static
pressure gradient would occur along the wind-tunnel fetch, due to the
growth fo the atmospheric boundary layer and due to the presence of
the building models. As this pressure gradient is a result of the wind-
tunnel vertical walls and ceiling, it is not present in reality and should be
removed by an adjustable ceiling.