Particle dispersion produced by a turbulent free convection flow in a room-sized cubical cavity

Abstract

Abstract This paper introduces the framework for the ongoing “2024 International CFD Challenge on the Long-Range Indoor Dispersion of Pathogen-Laden Aerosols.” The Challenge is designed as a blind test to assess the accuracy of computationally efficient turbulence modeling techniques, including URANS and LES, in replicating both the hydrodynamics and aerosol dispersion in an idealized indoor environment. To evaluate the simulations, DNS data of turbulent natural flow at a high Rayleigh number within a room-sized enclosure will serve as a reference benchmark. Participants have the flexibility to conduct simulations of the same flow configuration using their preferred CFD software, employing URANS, LES, and/or hybrid methods. The Challenge was officially launched on October 16, 2023, and has garnered participation from 31 teams representing 18 different countries, with the expected submission of results in May 2024. The outcomes of the comparison between the different modelling approaches and the reference DNS will be presented and discussed during the conference.