Representation of Velocity Gradient Effects in a Gaussian Puff Model

Abstract

The Gaussian puff model framework is extended to provide a description of velocity shear distortion effects. An efficient splitting-merging algorithm is presented so that a maximum puff size can be specified for a calculation. This localizes the Gaussian puffs so that they represent only a limited region of the flow and the accuracy of the representation is therefore controlled. The model is shown to perform well on the deformational flow of Smolarkiewicz, providing an accurate calculation of the highly distorted solution. The extended puff methodology allows practical applications of an efficient Lagrangian dispersion technique in complex flow fields.