DEFINING EXTREME DESERT ENVIRONMENTS WITH MICROCLIMATOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS

摘要

Desert storage requirements are often described by record temperature extremes and hypothetical daily temperature cycles. This method has limited utility and can result in unrealistic design and test criteria.nA more realistic low-altitude desert environment is described in curves drawn from hourly temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation values. The data was collected during periods of extreme high temperatures in Death Valley, California.nThese curves, which represent a microclimatological approach, should be used as a common point of departure in describing desert climates. Mathematical expressions derived from the curves should be used for calculating the response of equipment to a desert environment and as an aid in preparing design criteria for an item facing exposure in an uncontrolled desert environment.