Accelerating the Lagrangian method for modeling transient particle transport in indoor environments

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with the Lagrangian method has been widely used in predicting transient particle transport in indoor environments. The Lagrangian method calculates the trajectories of individual particles on the basis of Newton's law. Statistically speaking, a large number of particles are needed in the calculations in order to ensure accuracy. Traditionally, modelers have conducted an independence test in order to find a reasonable value for this particle number. However, the unguided process of an independence test can be highly time-consuming when no simple method is available for estimating the necessary particle number. Therefore, this investigation developed a method for estimating the necessary particle number in the Lagrangian method. Furthermore, the computing cost of the Lagrangian method is positively associated with the particle number. If this number is too large, the computing cost may not be affordable. Thus, this study proposed the superimposition and time-averaging methods to reduce the necessary particle number. This investigation designed multiple cases to verify the proposed methods. The verification results show that the estimation method can provide the necessary particle number with a reasonable magnitude. Moreover, the superimposition method can reduce the necessary particle number when the particle source duration is relatively long. On the other hand, the time-averaging method can reduce the necessary particle number by up to 30 times. When compared with experimental data, predictions of transient particle transport in indoor environments by the combined Lagrangian, superimposition, and time-averaging method with the estimated particle number are reasonably accurate.