Interactive Low-Cost Wind

Simulation For Cities

Eduard Rando, Imanol Mun oz & Gustavo
Patow

Motivation
Wind is an important phenomenon in
cities

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuEMUkBELN0

urbanWind

Motivation
Accurate simulations: CFD, but

urbanWind

Objectives
Lightweight 2D wind simulation
Interactive frame-rates
Accurate enough to provide some prediction
capabilities

urbanWind

Fluid Simulations
Empiric models (e.g., particles)
Accurate simulations

urbanWind

Accurate Fluid Simulation

Molecular simulation
Studies molecule interaction
Only for very small volumes

Navier-Stokes Equations
Accurate
Not practical for interactive simulations

Lattice Boltzmann Method

urbanWind

Lattice Boltzmann Method

Boltzmann Equation (1872) L.B. Method
Regular lattice, represents fluid in discrete
locations and how it flows.
DxQy
x : dimension
Y : lattice velocities
urbanWind

Lattice Boltzmann Method

Particle distribution functions
Density
Velocity

urbanWind

Lattice Boltzmann Method

Steps:
Streaming
Collision

urbanWind

Lattice Boltzmann Method

Streaming

urbanWind

10

Lattice Boltzmann Method

Collision:

urbanWind

11

Lattice Boltzmann Method

Usually, they are combined as

with

urbanWind

12

Implementation
Stages

urbanWind

13

Implemenation
Storage

urbanWind

14

Implementation L.B. Method

Streaming step on GPU

urbanWind

15

Implementation L.B. Method

Boundary conditions (I):

No-slip

Free-slip
urbanWind

16

Implementation L.B. Method

Boundary conditions (II):
Half-Way Bounce Back

urbanWind

17

Implementation L.B. Method

Simulation Domain [Moh11]
Inlet, specify the speed
Outlet, take the values of the cells
immediately before and extrapolate
their values for the missing directions
Simulation sides
Pipe
Periodic
urbanWind

18

Implementation L.B. Method

Collision step: Instability of the fluid
(negative densities)

Advection

urbanWind

19

Implementation L.B. Method

Collision step: Instability of the fluid
(negative densities)

Advection

Smoothstep(0,,)
urbanWind

20

Results
pipe boundary
condition

periodic boundary condition

urbanWind

21

Periodic
boundary
conditions,
with wind
entering from
the left east

Pipe boundary
conditions,
wind entering
from the north
towards the
top

22

Results
2

urbanWind

23

Conclusions: Advantages
We have presented
A low-cost, reliable interactive wind simulation
technique for large urban environments,
Able to dynamically change wind direction and
strength
Based on a LB implementation
Running on the GPU (CUDA implementation)
Allows
To capture general wind behavior
urbanWind
Its usage in general
urban physics

24

Conclusions: Disadvantages
Its accuracy is limited by
The size of the cell grid used
It runs only in a 2D environment

If a more accurate simulation is

needed, a full 3D CFD simulation
should be implemented [Blo15, Blo14]
urbanWind

25

Conclusion and Future Work

Possibilities:
Hierarchical, adaptive multigrid techniques
Study the interaction of wind with other
urban elements, like
Trees
Heat
Humidity
Pollutants
Rain
urbanWind

26

Thanks!