Water Body

Ever wondered why you feel more comfortable strolling beside ponds or water bodies in the city? You’re right. Large bodies of water do indeed instill a sense of peace and calm. However, what’s less known is that there is indeed science behind this occurrence. Well, in hot & humid Singapore, anywhere else feels better than the sweltering afternoon outdoor, and a mosquito-free pond fits in that description. Don’t say I told you to jump in.

bungee(creative commons)

It actually is really simple, exactly like how land and sea breezes work. In the day, the land heats up way faster then the pond, generating a convection current in the air above: pond breeze. The converse happens when the land cools faster than the pond (1). How ingenious. *clap clap clap

These are all more sustainable methods of cooling, compared to air-conditioning. Promoting these water bodies around the area thus improves ventilation, and whisks heat away, providing for a clean, comfortable stroll for you.

windy(creative commons)

Similarly, there are also other concepts that can be used to cool an area down, that isn’t energy-sapping air-conditioning. One example would be the Deep Water Source Cooling concept. Apparently it’s energy usage is a lot lesser, about one order of magnitude lower (2).

How it works is basically as such: in colder countries, bodies of water are generally thermally stratified, and the deep waters are usually consistently around 4°C. So cool water is pumped up from about 50m deep, and it flows along pipes and into a heat exchange unit (2). The city is thus cooled. This concept is brilliant, but it has some limitations that I can think of. Firstly, it is impossible in Singapore, as we only have summer, and our rivers are definitely >4°C even at the bottom. Secondly cooling your room means warming up the pond. This may result in possible negative spin-offs for the natural habitat. Nevertheless, it is still a possible alternative that is feasible in many many parts of the world.

The next time you walk down the breezy boardwalk, don’t forget to thank all these physical processes working for you behind the scenes. ^^

 

References

  1. Sea Breezes:a result of uneven surface heating. (2010). Ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu. Retrieved 10 September 2016, from http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/fw/sea/htg.rxml
  2. Waldron, L. (2006). Deep Water Cooling | CRC Research. Crcresearch.org. Retrieved 10 September 2016, from https://crcresearch.org/case-studies/case-studies-sustainable-infrastructure/energy/deep-water-cooling

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *