Flow and dispersion simulation using Computational Fluid Dynamics: A Case Study for EduCity in Iskandar Malaysia

Abstract

Urbanisation has brought about various changes in the rural landscape, leading to a change in urban wind flow and pollutant dispersion. In this study, the flow and pollutant dispersion in a newly populated education hub, EduCity in Iskandar Malaysia are simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In order to ensure accuracy of the numerical simulation, Geographical Informational System (GIS) data was used to replicate the terrain of the region, while the main buildings of the education hub were measured to a high level of detail. The inlet boundary conditions utilised the power law to describe the reference velocity-height relationship, while sand grain roughness and density of vegetation were also taken into account. In order to validate the simulation, wind conditions at three different locations within EduCity were measured and the maximum deviation of 3.45% were observed across various location-time combinations. Upon validation of the integrated model, upstream wind velocity was varied, while pollutant profiles and wind directions were fixed for the urban flow and pollutant dispersion simulations. From the results, it is shown that upstream wind velocities greatly change the localised characteristics of wind and pollutant flows, although limited by the constraints of the physical configurations of the buildings. The results show that CFD simulations can be used to manage the air qualities in education hubs, and helps dictates the planning of urban development.