UMCF

A Grasshopper plugin for microclimate simulations

Overview

UMCF (urbanMicroclimateFoam) is an open-source solver for coupled physical processes modeling urban microclimate based on OpenFOAM.

Key Features

CFD - Computational fluid dynamics model

• Solves turbulent, convective airflow
• Handles heat and moisture transport in the air subdomain

HAM - Heat moisture transport model

• Manages absorption and transport
• Controls storage of heat and moisture in porous building materials

RAD - Radiation model

• Calculates net longwave and shortwave radiative heat fluxes
• Uses view factor approach

VEG - Vegetation model

• Solves heat balance for urban trees
• Handles green surfaces

Installation

Prerequisites

• bluecfd core 2020
• UMCF plugin from PackageManager
• CheckInstallation component

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install blueCFD-Core

   • Download blueCFD-Core-2020-1-win64-setup.exe from bluecfd.github.io
   • This provides OpenFOAM 8

2. Install UMCF Plugin

   • In Rhinoceros, execute PackageManager command
   • Search for UMCF and click Install (View on RhinoPackages)
   • Optional: Check Include pre-releases for all versions
   • Restart Rhinoceros to complete installation

   

3. Verify Installation

   • Navigate to UMCF tab in Grasshopper ribbon
   • Find Check Installation under Meta subcategory
   • Set Check input to True
   • This verifies integrity of blueCDF-Core 2020 and urbanMicroclimateFoam files

   

Features & Workflow

1. Simulation Domain Configuration

The simulation domain consists of three regions:

1. air region
2. solid region
3. vegetation region

2. Air Region Setup

Managed by UMCF.AirRegion class

• Determined by Box Domain Dimensions
• Includes Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) condition:
  • Wind Speed
  • Height
  • Wind Direction

3. Solid Region Setup

Managed by UMCF.SolidRegion class

• Requires mesh geometry input
• Stores:
• region name
• material
• Optional thickness value
• mesh parameters
• building temperature

4. Vegetation Region Configuration

Managed by `UMCF.VegetationRegion

• Requirements:
• mesh geometry input
• Leaf Area Density (LAD)
• vegetation properties
• `mesh parameters

5. Timing Parameters

Uses EnergyPlus Weather file (.EPW)

• Requires:
• start day (365-day based)
• `start time
• `duration
• end time is calculated by adding the start time and duration

6. Simulation Settings

Key parameters include:

• Number of CPUs (N)
• maxFluidIterations (F)
• Write Interval (W)
• Initial Solid Timestep Factor (I)
• minDeltaT (T)
• maxDeltaT (T)
• minFluidIteration (F)
• pcEqnForm (p)
• dampingThickness (d)
• alphaCoefU (U)
• alphaCoefT (T)

7. Case Generation

• Connect all configured components
• Set Write Case to True
• Outputs UMCF.UMCFCase which must be connected to the Case Run component

8. Simulation Execution

• Two-step process:
• 1. Prepare simulation: Set Prepare Simulation or Prepare Simulation in Parallel to True
• 2. Run Simulation: Set Run Simulation or Run Simulation in Parallel to True

Note: Use consistent parallel settings for preparation and execution

9. Analysis & Visualization

• Uses probing component
• Samples field values at point locations
• Writes results to file using input fields
• Enables value analysis and visualization by running the probes function

Documentation

UMCF Component list

Presentation

Team

Name	Seniority	Major	Department	GitHub
Marcelo Alvarez	Masters	Architecture (DC)	ARCH	@alvarezdmarch
Gonzalo Vegas	PhD	Architecture	ARCH	@gvegaso
Shruti Jadhav	Masters	Architecture (HBP)	ARCH	@ShrutiJadhav27
Rui Shen	Masters	Architecture (DC)	ARCH	@ShiRo-25
Chinmay Rothe	Masters	Architecture (HBP)	ARCH	@ChinmayR5