Distinguished Seminar in Computational Science and Engineering
Building 45 (MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing), 51 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA
Distinguished Seminar in Computational Science and Engineering September 10, 2026, 12-1PM 45-432 in Building 45 and Zoom Webinar Toward Accurate and Efficient Large-Eddy Simulation of Urban Canopy Flows Catherine Gorlé Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University Abstract: Computational fluid dynamics is increasingly being used to support the sustainable and resilient design of buildings and cities by predicting wind loading, natural ventilation, pedestrian wind comfort, and urban air quality. Large-eddy simulation (LES) has emerged as the most promising approach because it explicitly resolves the energetic turbulent motions that govern these processes. This presentation explores recent advances that are bringing LES closer to routine engineering practice. A first step toward broader adoption of LES for urban and building design is demonstrating its predictive capability across different applications. For wind loading, validation studies have shown that a two-step LES methodology provides accurate predictions of peak pressures on buildings in realistic urban environments. For natural ventilation, coupled indoor-outdoor LES reproduces measured…