Method for Simulating Combustion in Digital Imagery with Real or Artist-Specified Components
A combustion simulation system is provided. The combustion simulation system can be performed using a computing device operated by a computer user or artist. The computer-implemented method of simulating a combustion process includes receiving a set of data representing a fluid flow. The fluid flow can include combustion precursors comprising at least one arbitrary combustion precursor. The method includes simulating a chemical reaction representing simulated combustion involving the at least one arbitrary combustion precursor and generating combustion byproducts. The method can include determining a change in temperature of the combustion byproducts due to the chemical reaction, determining a change in molar mass of the combustion byproducts due to the chemical reaction, determining a divergence of the combustion byproducts based on a combination of the change in the temperature and the change in molar mass, and generating data structures of the simulated combustion based on values of the fluid flow.
1 . A computer-implemented method of simulating combustion processes, the computer-implemented method comprising:
under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions:
receiving a first set of data representing a fluid flow including a plurality of combustion precursors comprising at least one arbitrary combustion precursor;
simulating a chemical reaction representing simulated combustion involving the at least one arbitrary combustion precursor and generating combustion byproducts;
determining a change in temperature and a molar mass of the combustion byproducts due to the chemical reaction;
determining a divergence of the combustion byproducts based on a combination of the change in the temperature and the change in molar mass;
generating one or more data structures of the simulated combustion based on values of at least a first portion of the fluid flow.
2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user provided parameter values defining the at least one arbitrary combustion precursor, the chemical reaction being simulated based at least in part on the user provided parameter values.
3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:
providing a user interface to a client computing device for display thereby, the user interface being configured to receive the user provided parameter values from a user.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of combustion precursors comprises at least one non-arbitrary combustion precursor.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein at least one non-arbitrary combustion precursor is a linear alkane having a chemical composition with a form “C n H 2n+2 .”
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the user provided parameter values defining the at least one arbitrary combustion precursor is changed such that the at least one non-arbitrary combustion precursor is converted into an arbitrary combustion precursor.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of combustion precursors comprises at least one non-combustible component.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the divergence is determined based on the change in temperature over time.
9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the divergence is determined based on the change in molar mass over time.
10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising simulating the combustion byproducts as a second portion of the fluid flow having a variable density, wherein the variable density of the fluid flow varies in response to the divergence of a velocity field pertaining to the fluid flow.
11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least a second portion of the fluid flow is treated as incompressible.
12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least a second portion of the fluid flow is treated as compressible.
13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data structures are configured for use by an animation process for generating one or more visual representations of a combustion event.
14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , further comprising:
using a convolution kernel to simulate heat diffusion by blurring at least a portion of the one or more visual representations of the combustion event.
15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , further comprising:
deriving the convolution kernel from a heat equation.
16 . A computer-implemented method comprising the method of any preceding claim and for generating a graphics output with a simulated combustion using the one or more data structures.
17 . A computer system for simulating combustion processes, the system comprising:
at least one processor; and
a computer-readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to carry out the method of claim 1 .
18 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out the method of claim 1 .
19 . A computer-readable medium carrying instructions, which when executed by at least one processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to carry out the method of claim 1 .