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Release notes

Version 6.0 - October 31, 2018

SVN Info:

Path: palm/tags/release-6.0
Revision: r3477

New features:

Multi Agent System (PALM-4U): Multi Agent System (MAS) has been added. It is modularized in the new file multi_agent_system_mod.f90 and can be steered using the new namelist agent_parameters.

RANS mode (PALM-4U): TKE-epsilon turbulence closure for urban simulations has been implemented.

Indoor climate and energy demand module (PALM-4U): New module for indoor climate and energy demand has been added (beta version).

Chemistry (PALM-4U):
- New module for chemistry emissions chem_emissions_mod.f90 has been added.
- Deposition of gases and particles added.
- Aerosol physics/chemistry module SALSA added.

Nesting (PALM-4U):
- RANS-RANS and RANS-LES nesting implemented.
- Offline nesting implemented, using time-dependent boundary conditions at the model boundaries as well as time-dependent geostrophic forcing can be derived from the output of the larger-scale COSMO model via the pre-processing tool INIFOR. Information is stored in dynamic driver file. In order to initiate turbulence, a synthetic turbulence generator is applied at all lateral boundaries, which imposes turbulent fluctuations onto the COSMO-derived boundary values of the three velocity components, while the strength of fluctuations depend on the actual atmospheric conditions.
- Nesting is now available for particles (LPM/LCM).

Biometeorology (PALM-4U):
- The model now comprises a biometeorology module that can be used to determine the thermal indices Perceived Temperature (PT), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET). The indices are calculated as soon as the namelist biometeorology_parameters exists and can be disabled by setting e.g. biom_pt = .F..
- Human exposure model has been added that calculates the vitamin D3-weighted UV exposure of a human. It is modularized in the new file uv_exposure_model_mod.f90 and can be steered using the new namelist biometeorology_parameters.

Virtual measurement module (PALM-4U): New module to perform virtual measurements virtual_meas_mod.f90 has been added (beta version).
- NetCDF data input of coordinates from 'real-world' measurements for point-, profile-, or trajectory measurements
- automatic sampling and output of the quantities according to the measurement coordinates

Major changes:

Model steering:
- The palmrun/palmbuild options -h and -d were renamed to -c and -r, respectively.
- palmrun is steered via the files .palm.iofiles and .palm.config.
- Fortran NAMELISTS in the parameter files were renamed and the deprecated NAMELISTS were removed.

Coupling to RRTMG (PALM-4U): The RRTMG and its coupling to PALM have been modified. Users that use RRTMG need to recompile the radiation model.

Radiative transfer (PALM-4U): Radiative transfer model has been updated to version 3 (RTM 3.0).
- A new discretization scheme for direct solar, diffuse solar, emitted and reflected radiation substantially enhances scalability, especially on large domains and domains with complex terrain, reduces memory demands, eliminates the need for limiting maximum raytracing distance and reduces discretization error between close surfaces.
- A new raytracing algorithm improves performance of the preprocessing step and reduces the MPI overhead.
- Absorption and emission of longwave radiation by plant canopy (interacting with surfaces and sky) is now simulated in addition to shortwave radiation. LW and SW plant canopy radiative exchange is also used as an input for plant canopy transpiration.
- The RTM now calculates mean radiant temperature (MRT) and also provides radiative inputs for calculation of human thermal comfort (MRT, PET) in the biometeorology module.

Ocean model: The ocean code has been modularized and put into new file ocean_mod.f90. Turbulence generation by wave breaking, as well as the Stokes drift have been implemented in the default code. New namelist ocean_parameters

Date and time (PALM-4U): introduced changes to date_and_time_mod.f90 for calculations of time indices such as hour of the day or month of the year, according to the running time of the simulation.

Chemistry (PALM-4U):
- 2D and profile output added for chemistry variables
- de-cycling of chemistry variables at lateral boundaries
- additions to UTILS/chemistry/gasphase_preproc and modifications of kpp4palm: automatic preparation of vector version, inclusion of fixed species, more mechanisms added (CBM4, phstat, phstatp, simplep, passive1)
- self-nesting (PALM-PALM) capability for chemistry added

Grid stretching: The vertical grid stretching mechanism has been extended to allow more than one stretched region. In addition, stretching from coarse to fine as well as from fine to coarse is now possible.

NetCDF input (PALM-4U): Revision of NetCDF data input and extended checks for consistent static and dynamic input files

Particle model: Reflection of Lagrangian particles at downward-facing surfaces implemented

Data output:
- Output of unstructured surface data is enabled via a new namelist surface_output_parameters. This allows further processing of surface data into Paraview-readable files in order to display surface data such as surface temperature at building walls in an urban-environment
- Some output variable names were renamed according to the [UC]² data standard.
- A mimic to output terrain-following output of XY cross sections has been added.

Cloud microphysics:
- The bulk cloud microphysics model code has been modularized and its capabilities can now be controlled within a new namelist called bulk_cloud_parameters.
- It is now allowed to use the bulk cloud model and use complex topography at the same time.

Urban surface model (PALM-4U):
- Calculation of short wave radiation inside window layers updates
- Increased building database to provide parameters for all wall and window height levels (ground floor, above ground floor, roof level)
- Window surface and layers temperatures are fixed during spinup to make larger time step dt_spinup possible
- Added latent heat flux for green wall and roof tiles and output variables usm_qsws_*, usm_qsws_veg_*, usm_qsws_liq_*
- Added calculation of latent heat flux for green roofs and walls

Known bugs:

Version 5.0 - December 16, 2017

SVN Info:

Path: palm/tags/release-5.0
Revision: r2704

New features:

Anelastic approximation (PALM): The anelastically approximated equations for atmospheric motion have been implemented. PALM users can now choose between the Boussinesq and the anelastic approximation (details). The anelastic approximation allows a vertical variation of the air density and therefore enables PALM to be used for simulations of atmospheric phenomena with large vertical extend (e.g. deep convection).

Chemistry model (PALM-4U): A gas-phase chemistry has been implemented.

Cloud microphysics (PALM): Advanced bulk microphysics implemented. This basically involves two additional prognostic equations for the cloud droplet number concentration, and the cloud water content as well as aerosol activation schemes.

GUI tools (PALM): Graphical helper tools have been added (PALM grid finder, palm_gf; PALM watchdog, palm_wd, PALM job manager, palm_jm).

INIFOR (PALM-4U): Initialization and forcing by COSMO-DE large-scale data is realized via NetCDF interface and preprocessing tool INIFOR.

Interface for reading NetCDF input data: (PALM-4U): Input data (e.g. building heights, land surface classification, etc.) are now read from NetCDF driver files.

Lagrangian cloud model: (PALM): Splitting/merging algorithm implemented.

Land surface scheme (PALM):
- Support for water and paved surfaces added (details).
- Revised skin layer concept and soil model configuration (details).

LES-LES self-nesting (PALM-4U): Multi-stage LES-LES nesting is realized for most quantities (except chemistry) (details). Also, two different 1D vertical nesting schemes are available.

Model steering (PALM): The old scripts mrun and mbuild have been removed in favor of more user-friendly scripts palmrun and palmbuild. Furthermore the configuration file .mrun.config is split into two new files .palm.config.<configuration identifier> and .palm.iofiles (details).

Radiation model (PALM): Coupling to RRTMG radiation code realized. RRTMG is now shipped with PALM.

Radiative transfer (PALM-4U): Radiative transfer in the urban canopy layer, including multiple reflections between buildings and shading of tall vegetation. Can also be used in complex terrain.

RANS mode: TKE-l turbulence closure for urban simulations has been implemented.

Spin-up (PALM-4U): A spin-up mechanism is available for running land surface model, urban surface model and radiation scheme independently from atmosphere to generate steady-state soil and wall temperatures for initialization.

Synthetic turbulence generator (PALM): A turbulence generator can be used instead of turbulence recycling for non-cyclic inflow conditions

Testsuite (PALM): New svn commits are now automatically tested.

Urban surface scheme (PALM-4U): An energy balance solver for buildings and a wall material model.

Wind turbine model (PALM): A wind turbine model was implemented (details).

Major changes:

Humidity vs scalar: Humidity and scalar are now separated.

Multigrid solver (PALM): Optimized multi-grid pressure solver is implemented.

Non-cycle inflow: major changes and improvements for non-cyclic turbulent inflow and turbulence recycling.

palmrungui: the mrun GUI was re-designed in python and renamed to palmrungui.

Surface layer: Three different methods are now available to calculate surface-layer scaling variables and fluxes. This basically involves the calculation of the Obukhov length. Three different methods are now available ("old" circular method, Newton iteration, and look-up table) (wiki:doc/tec/bc details]).

Surface treatment: Surface elements are now arranged in a 1D structure and a Fortran derived data type. This applied to default, land surface and urban surface elements.

Topography implementation: Topography is now considered via flag arrays instead of 2D index arrays. Overhanging structures like bridges are now possible, i.e., the limitation of surface-mounted topography does not exist anymore. A topography filter was implemented that fills holes that consist of only one grid point details).

Bugs fixed:

See changelog 2017 and changelog 2013-2016.

Known bugs:

Calculation of aerodynamic resistance for building walls needs further adjustment

LES-LES nesting remains unstable at high grid aspect ratios (so far only tested for a ratio of 10:1)

Nesting and restarts do not work for chemistry yet

Version 4.0 - January 28, 2015

SVN Info:

Path: palm/tags/release-4.0
Revision: r1540

New features:

Progress bar (PALM): Informative messages during execution and progress bar added

Land surface model (PALM): Beta version has been implemented

Radiation model (PALM): Simple clear-sky radiation model

Major changes:

Canopy model: Canopy model is modularized and controlled by seperate NAMELIST

General changes in code layout:
- ONLY attribute added to all USE statements
- KIND parameter added to all INTEGER/REAL declarations
- comment fields for explaining variables added