Application of a Pine Tree in the Evaluation of Environmental Thermal Conditions

This article presents a method of evaluating the thermal environmental conditions of a tree, represented by a maritime pine, taking into account the surrounding external environmental conditions. Particularly, the levels of moisture content existing in the different elements of the tree (trunks, branches and leaves) are evaluated according to the conditions of air temperature and air relative humidity verified around them. The study was performed numerically and the results obtained were compared with the results obtained through experimental work in progress. The maritime pine geometry was obtained through a Computer Aided Design system software. The virtual maritime pine geometry was obtained from 2289 cylindrical elements. This maritime pine consists of 14 trunks, 25 branches and 2250 leaves. Numerical simulation was carried out by a proprietary research software called Hygrothermal Tree Modelling. The water circulation and energy transmission processes were considered in the numerical model. The experimental work consisted of measuring the moisture content of maritime pine leaves with a moisture analyzer. The results obtained show that the numerically predicted moisture content of the leaves is very similar to that obtained experimentally, with a relative error of 1.65%.