Synthetic-Eddy Method for Urban Atmospheric Flow Modelling

The computational fluid dynamics code Fluidity, with anisotropic mesh adaptivity, is used as a multi-scale obstacle-accommodating meteorological model. A novel method for generating realistic inlet boundary conditions based on the view of turbulence as a superposition of synthetic eddies is adopted. It is able to reproduce prescribed first-order and second-order one-point statistics and turbulence length scales. The aim is to simulate an urban boundary layer. The model is validated against two standard benchmark tests: a plane channel flow numerical simulation and a flow past a cube physical simulation. The performed large-eddy simulations are in good agreement with both reference models giving confidence that the model can be used to successfully simulate urban atmospheric flows.