Understanding the impact of varying level of detail in urban areas on the wind prediction capabilities using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models with a focus on urban air-mobility viability.

Wind flow predictions in realistic urban areas are sensitive to a wide range of governing parameters such as building resolution, wind incidence, urban morphology, and underlying topography, to list a few. In this study, we use a Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computational framework to assess the impact of the geometric level of detail (LoD) of the urban built environment on wind safety tailored for urban air mobility. We develop a probabilistic risk metric (Pr) based on velocity and turbulence fields, that allows us to compare the efficacy of LoD1.2 and LoD2.2 in two different urban settings: the TUDelft campus (fairly open with varying height buildings) and Den Haag centrum (compact with similar height buildings). We found that LoD2.2 provides a more conservative prediction for high-risk areas compared to LoD1.2. Our results and methodology can help better predict the risk associated with urban air mobility and wind engineering applications with the appropriate tuning of the risk metrics.

Recommended citation: Patil, A., C. García-Sánchez, (in prep), Understanding the impact of varying level of detail in urban areas on the wind prediction capabilities using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models with a focus on urban air-mobility viability.