air drag
gravity ride simulation
Air Drag is a custom Autodesk Revit plugin which we developed to address speed-related issues due to air drag and specific wind conditions. In some cases strong winds can cause speed drop or even a full stop during the gravity driven ride.
The tool provides real time built-in air drag analysis and determines the theoretic speed values along the line, which helps in making informed design decisions.
Full integration within Autodesk Revit and the intuitive interface allow fast design iterations. The velocity analysis view is generated in the application window as part of the project and all parameter values are recorded in the family instances.
Segments of the ride with speeds less than a certain marginal value can then be redesigned in order to avoid unnecessary slowing down or stopping.
Calculating the velocity values comes along with estimation of the centripetal acceleration - an important safety consideration.