https://ufd.cargo.site urban fluid dynamics Sat, 09 May 2026 15:38:17 +0000 https://ufd.cargo.site en https://ufd.cargo.site/Intro Sun, 28 Jul 2024 17:27:03 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/Intro &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Urban Fluid Dynamics Lab <img width="532" height="505" width_o="532" height_o="505" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7bd14c3111c4b0a004a2f44fa1937c5ea03a91d566403b10ddfd3e90a9c9c482/RGB_CNNY_Horizontal_Version_P2665C-copy.png" data-mid="215397816" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/532/i/7bd14c3111c4b0a004a2f44fa1937c5ea03a91d566403b10ddfd3e90a9c9c482/RGB_CNNY_Horizontal_Version_P2665C-copy.png" /> https://ufd.cargo.site/OpenPhDSolutions Sat, 07 Dec 2024 01:49:48 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/OpenPhDSolutions https://ufd.cargo.site/NASA-EnAACT Sat, 09 May 2026 15:38:17 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/NASA-EnAACT NASA EnAACT The Enhancing Air Quality Analysis for Cities using TEMPO is a NASA-funded project to advance the capability of TEMPO. The project intends to use the geostationary satellite’s output to understand and model air quality for dense urban spaces. The project will particularly focus on PM2.5 and Ozone. The project will use field observations, urban-scale models, and AI/ML methods to enhance the TEMPO outputs. Currently, TEMPO is mainly intended to be used at regional scales. Our goal is to extend its applicability to city and neighborhood scales where air quality is a major issue impacting health and infrastructure. <img width="1512" height="1046" width_o="1512" height_o="1046" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/82e1df7b7cc7221287785693997d8aed48131505dbc1d9c2dc928da0d4aed70a/Screenshot-2026-05-09-at-12.50.50PM.png" data-mid="248079892" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/82e1df7b7cc7221287785693997d8aed48131505dbc1d9c2dc928da0d4aed70a/Screenshot-2026-05-09-at-12.50.50PM.png" />The project combines mobile field measurements of primary pollutants, high-resolution urban air quality modeling, and AI/ML based models to underdstand and forecast air quality at relevant urban scales.&nbsp; https://ufd.cargo.site/Under-The-Scorchin-Sun Sun, 28 Jul 2024 12:55:41 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/Under-The-Scorchin-Sun Under The Scorching Sun (movie) <img width="2088" height="1608" width_o="2088" height_o="1608" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/71e88bcdb1b5a2e5eae5ab1e60d38d739cf402cd0368297b9c662e5e98f1e633/Untitled.jpg" data-mid="215391998" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/71e88bcdb1b5a2e5eae5ab1e60d38d739cf402cd0368297b9c662e5e98f1e633/Untitled.jpg" /> "The climate crisis is about the Global South’s present. Not the Global North’s future.” - Disha Ravi, a Climate activist from India. This statement was echoed in a recently conducted survey on climate change perception by Yale University where majority of Americans surveyed, were worried about climate change but could not explicitly point out how it impacted their daily life. In places like South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and tropical islands throughout the planet, the specter of climate change looms large in every day life with heat stress being the foremost risk. Under The Scorching Sun,&nbsp; documents &nbsp;the plight of everyday workers in the Global South under the influence of extreme heat. The movie was filmed in Chennai, India in August 2023. Chennai, a major manufacturing and technology hub in India had a population of around 5.5 million in 1991. Today the city is home to nearly 11.2 million people, growing at a rate of 2% each year over the last 2 decades (the population density is around 28,000 people per square kilometer, about the same as New York City). Most of the Indian Metropolitan areas are poorly planned and are struggling to accommodate the ballooning migrant worker population. In a battle for space, these workers often work and live in environments that are subjected to unbearable conditions. The ambient heat index during the mid-summer months in Chennai average around 120 ˚F and on many occasions the wet bulb temperature reaches dangerously close to 95 ˚F - the maximum temperature that the body can regulate&nbsp;without shutting down. Most of our characters are working class people, native to Chennai. <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fb075796efaabf7b4687ca2ca8070e079a5c19104bfe3bf50f172f5c671c4091/L1000684-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400196" border="0" alt="Borewell Sampath" data-caption="Borewell Sampath" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/fb075796efaabf7b4687ca2ca8070e079a5c19104bfe3bf50f172f5c671c4091/L1000684-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ee720bfe3f82df13c40608370f933089c95810f96a73692bfeb81438e2612d3b/L1000662-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400199" border="0" alt="Sweeper Dhana" data-caption="Sweeper Dhana" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/ee720bfe3f82df13c40608370f933089c95810f96a73692bfeb81438e2612d3b/L1000662-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/068fc52c6f364602329a524ba58c049623b8f9ed5432992b8328f8eda0e01f25/L1000639-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400202" border="0" alt="Fabricator Wasim" data-caption="Fabricator Wasim" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/068fc52c6f364602329a524ba58c049623b8f9ed5432992b8328f8eda0e01f25/L1000639-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e0c79bed888831de6188d15f4beb1e3a6624cb0d8890893aafc2e980082a921f/L1000664-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400198" border="0" alt="Cable Guy Vinod" data-caption="Cable Guy Vinod" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/e0c79bed888831de6188d15f4beb1e3a6624cb0d8890893aafc2e980082a921f/L1000664-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/09f4c24276fd207d5c82e42d6ef67bc54299643cf6dad665b4a38c7e79136857/L1000659-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400200" border="0" alt="Ironer Kumar" data-caption="Ironer Kumar" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/09f4c24276fd207d5c82e42d6ef67bc54299643cf6dad665b4a38c7e79136857/L1000659-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f354b8ef92f488713862195ea198ba8eaf9897a145d1006c68805b731976375e/L1000641-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400201" border="0" alt="Food Deliverer Mani" data-caption="Food Deliverer Mani" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/f354b8ef92f488713862195ea198ba8eaf9897a145d1006c68805b731976375e/L1000641-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c30175f2b5b5d4416fbdf6515448f8f2554bd3a538f266fc839d65ea15907c0d/L1000687-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400195" border="0" alt="LPG Delivery Murugan" data-caption="LPG Delivery Murugan" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/c30175f2b5b5d4416fbdf6515448f8f2554bd3a538f266fc839d65ea15907c0d/L1000687-Large.jpeg" /> <img width="853" height="1280" width_o="853" height_o="1280" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/507212ec2d8a1c02c6cbac57c628a6a96277f11886ee2f2b1e48e716a2614ad8/L1000619-Large.jpeg" data-mid="215400204" border="0" alt="Florist Rani" data-caption="Florist Rani" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/853/i/507212ec2d8a1c02c6cbac57c628a6a96277f11886ee2f2b1e48e716a2614ad8/L1000619-Large.jpeg" /> The movie was shot with a visual and an infrared camera. The infrared images captured the worker’s body temperature and the surrounding surface temperature highlighting the environmental heat stress. The movie was conceived and produced by Prathap Ramamurthy. It was jointly directed by Jagannath Radhakrishnan and&nbsp;Prathap Ramamurthy. Omar Addasi was the cinematographer. Sound Design was completed by Shaiju M and the movie was edited by Abhishikta Kaila.&nbsp;Jagannath Radhakrishnan and Ajay G handled the VFX work and Tharun Pa did the color correction. Aithihya was incharge of the graphics.Watch the movie here-&nbsp;https://vimeo.com/989040824/c7803c58e8 https://ufd.cargo.site/23-07 Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:25:20 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/23-07 Observations/Our lab coducts fundamental research in to the transport of mass, momentum, and heat in the atmospheric boundary layer. We use micrometerological proinciples to observe the surface to atmosphere interactions over complex terrains. We particularly focus on urban and coastal urban boundary layers. The work helps us to understand and develop physics based models to represent these complex environments. We have permanent facilities in NYC and alos have capacity to &nbsp; conduct these measurements anywhere required. &nbsp;Coastal-Rural-Urban Gradient:&nbsp;The spectral analysis exhibits the presence of vastly different flow regimes along the coastal-rural-urban transect. The coastal site is dominated by the sea breeze effect that dictates the transport of heat and momentum. The urban and rural sites are influenced by local land cover characteristics that impact the hygro-thermal climate. Urban mixed-layer turbulence: A key part of our lab’ work is multi-scale urban observations- from indoor to city-scale. We use traditional boundary layer techniques to study surface layer and mixed layer characteristics as well as work on developing cost-effective sesnors for understanding indoor/outddor airquality. We focus on understanding the complex boundary layer characteristics over the urban and coastal urban regions. We employ profilers- cielometer, microwave radiometer, and Doppler lidar - to study the transport of mass, momentum, and heat. We have an active campaign in NYC and in Summer 2022, deployed them in Houston, Texas.&nbsp; Our lab is also involved in developing sesnors to study indoor/outdoor air quality. We use open source platforms and cost-effective sensors to develop instrumentation platform that is capable of sensing and communicating the data. &nbsp; Coastal-Rural-Urban Gradient<img width="1211" height="1128" width_o="1211" height_o="1128" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/342882b8ae6a9f3bc8eb2452633dc905815f3fdd43491e61f11191a473a500ad/spectra.jpg" data-mid="206932258" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/342882b8ae6a9f3bc8eb2452633dc905815f3fdd43491e61f11191a473a500ad/spectra.jpg" /> Urban mixed-layer turbulence <img width="2426" height="1926" width_o="2426" height_o="1926" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/398cf3876e3576741bc7c999c0ea04052a32ab0cd5926070678eb612cfab698b/Obs1.jpg" data-mid="161091600" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/398cf3876e3576741bc7c999c0ea04052a32ab0cd5926070678eb612cfab698b/Obs1.jpg" /><img width="1189" height="666" width_o="1189" height_o="666" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/708165ee06ade6c1e7cc12df874ec5c21b69fccf468cc331e9e0dda7ab832316/Obs2.jpg" data-mid="161091783" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/708165ee06ade6c1e7cc12df874ec5c21b69fccf468cc331e9e0dda7ab832316/Obs2.jpg" /> https://ufd.cargo.site/31-02 Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:25:20 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/31-02 Urban Air Quality<img width="1171" height="754" width_o="1171" height_o="754" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/22268da3c2d1470f28caff1763d98e971f6eb0e7658d1eb2d613c29534694722/aq.001.jpeg" data-mid="206971364" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/22268da3c2d1470f28caff1763d98e971f6eb0e7658d1eb2d613c29534694722/aq.001.jpeg" /> Building Energy <img width="1606" height="2158" width_o="1606" height_o="2158" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2b19ed7fbfbdcdecc556ae2b47855c891d254666d4cf11b525d44595cb5b50dc/Mod1.jpg" data-mid="161092384" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2b19ed7fbfbdcdecc556ae2b47855c891d254666d4cf11b525d44595cb5b50dc/Mod1.jpg" /> Modeling/ Current weather forecast produced by The National Weather Service does not include representation for urban scale processes. Hence the outcomes are often unreliable raising false alarms during extreme weather days which results in substantial economic losses. In the future, as the computing power progresses, the next generation of National Weather Service's forecast models will be expected to resolve urban and coastal-urban areas in much detail.&nbsp;Our lab develops representation for urban climate processes in weather and climate models. These include addressing issues related to surface heterogeneity, impact of variable roughness, and anthropogenic activity, in addition to turbulent transport parameterizations.Meteorology &amp; Air Quality: One of the current areas we are working on is integrating urban parameterization in to WRF-CHem. This will allow us to do high-resolution forecast of key air quality variables as well as natively resolving cloud physiocs and chemistry. The figure shows our development of urban parameterization in WRF-Chem. The urbanized version is able to reproduce the urban heat island and urban boundary layer characteristics, including the sea breeze effect much more accurately. The city also influences the suburban regions which is not reproduced without the urban parameterization. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Building Energy:&nbsp; We actively add representation for various urban processes and humanize the numerical models. Here in we coupled the building energy model with an urban climate model to study building level emissions of heat. The model can predict relaistic air conditioning usage for cities. Various parameterizations related to A/C efficiency and type can be independently represented. In addition to heat, the model can also predict water emitted by these anthropogenic systems. https://ufd.cargo.site/23-11-copy Sun, 17 Mar 2024 15:21:51 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/23-11-copy <img width="2502" height="1730" width_o="2502" height_o="1730" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9d9ed89ff0856db2b750c522e6c07b73e6cf2b0c6c9d59234282c30d14f5a27f/o3-uWRF-Walk-07_24_23-AM.png" data-mid="206973288" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9d9ed89ff0856db2b750c522e6c07b73e6cf2b0c6c9d59234282c30d14f5a27f/o3-uWRF-Walk-07_24_23-AM.png" /><img width="2420" height="2912" width_o="2420" height_o="2912" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ad0f800fd4f6fc42cc33e94d862b7ad5156b7ae0c3c0b8e296d067d94289aeda/pm2.5-Satellite-Walk-sat_07_28_23.png" data-mid="206973290" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ad0f800fd4f6fc42cc33e94d862b7ad5156b7ae0c3c0b8e296d067d94289aeda/pm2.5-Satellite-Walk-sat_07_28_23.png" /> Community Sensing/&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Urban communities are dispropotionally challenged by various environmental hazards; heatwaves and poor air quality are of high concern. Most city dwellers, particularly in NYC and other East Coast cities live in buildings that lack adequate ventillation and air conditioning. All of which leads to some of the harshest &nbsp;health inequalities in the nation. Part of our work is to coproduce solutions working with concerned communities.&nbsp;To address this complex issue we have together with community organizations developed a technology paltform that utilizes low-cost sensors to study street and building level microclimates. The system is highly flexible and uses low-intervention technology to observe and communicate data. These systems provide unique observations that are essential at personal and community level.Our observations are further used to model and validate both satellite observations and numerical models.The plots show our summer campaign in 2023 to study street level variability in Ozone and PM2.5. The goal was to understand the street level variability and validate the model development. Further, the data will also be used to calibrate the TEMPO satellite observations. https://ufd.cargo.site/27-12 Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:25:20 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/27-12 Remote sensing/&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Urban remote sesning is a fledgling field. Our lab is involved in developing tools to use satellite data at meterologically relevant spatial and temporal scales. We are currently using NOAA’ GOES 16 satellite to understand urban surface energy budget. We can now predict urban storage flux and sesnible heat flux over urban areas. Moreover it has also helped us to understand the urban radiation budget. Our models use both Artificial Intelligence and physics based algoorithms. The products that we have developed address health and energy use in urban areas.&nbsp; <img width="654" height="438" width_o="654" height_o="438" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/50880c2921c7cae741b1abfd1f89ecf93e292a79946884ce0d89c8431946b259/CityQ.jpg" data-mid="162960079" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/654/i/50880c2921c7cae741b1abfd1f89ecf93e292a79946884ce0d89c8431946b259/CityQ.jpg" /> https://ufd.cargo.site/23-11 Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:25:21 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/23-11 <img width="1143" height="785" width_o="1143" height_o="785" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f5e03a09e94cb3818ca78a9584a7c79c48f367c8f86e420ff51bace507c086d7/co2.jpg" data-mid="162961710" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f5e03a09e94cb3818ca78a9584a7c79c48f367c8f86e420ff51bace507c086d7/co2.jpg" /> Building Energy/&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Major cities are rapidly evolving toward zero carbon emissions. &nbsp; A large portion of the emissions are related to building heating and hot water use. &nbsp;A deep electrification of the heating systems will be required to adavnce towards zero carbon economy. This project is a partnership with the City of New York and the HVAC industry to further develop, test, and demonstrate advanced low Global Warming Potential (GWP) electrical heat pumps for space heating and cooling and domestic hot water. We are using transcritical CO2 cycle to achieve high efficiency in heating space. https://ufd.cargo.site/In-Between Sat, 24 Sep 2022 02:25:20 +0000 urban fluid dynamics https://ufd.cargo.site/In-Between In the media NYTimes on Urban Air QualityBRIC TV on 2019 Heatwave WNYC on Public housing without A/C German Public Radio on Cities &amp; HeatwavesChina Global TV Climate stress on low income people Opportunities We currently have a position open for a Master’ student. The work will involve understanding the relationship between urban surface energy budget and boundary layer characteristics. US citizenship required.