Work

PortUrb: a performance portable, high-order, moist atmospheric large eddy simulation model with variable-friction immersed boundaries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: . This paper introduces "portUrb": a moist, compressible, non-hydrostatic atmospheric Large Eddy Simulation model that aims for portability, performance, accuracy, simplicity, readability, robustness, extensibility, and ensemble capabilities. Additionally, there is an emphasis on free-slip immersed boundaries with surface friction to account for urban building geometries. Coded in portable C++ with high-order Weighted Essentially Non-Oscilatory (WENO) numerics, this study investigates the behavior of portUrb under atmospheric boundary layer, supercell, and urban scenarios. PortUrb matches experimental observations and model comparisons closely under several test cases in mean and turbulent statistics. It also provides physically realizable flow through complex building geometries from a portion of Manhattan without needing to pre-process or smooth the building geometry.

Source: Geoscientific model development

DOI: 10.5194/gmd-18-9605-2025

Authors: Matthew Norman, Muralikrishnan Gopalakrishnan Meena, Kalyan Gottiparthi, Nicholson Koukpaizan, Stephen Nichols

Institution: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Wind and Air Flow Studies

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,725