Fluid Intelligence: A Forward Look on AI Foundation Models in Computational Fluid Dynamics

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ashton, Neil, Brandstetter, Johannes, Mishra, Siddhartha
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ashton, Neil
Brandstetter, Johannes
Mishra, Siddhartha
author_facet Ashton, Neil
Brandstetter, Johannes
Mishra, Siddhartha
contents Driven by the advancement of GPUs and AI, the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is undergoing significant transformations. This paper bridges the gap between the machine learning and CFD communities by deconstructing industrial-scale CFD simulations into their core components. Our main contribution is to propose the first scaling law that incorporates CFD inputs for both data generation and model training to outline the unique challenges of developing and deploying these next-generation AI models for complex fluid dynamics problems. Using our new scaling law, we establish quantitative estimates for the large-scale limit, distinguishing between regimes where the cost of data generation is the dominant factor in total compute versus where the cost of model training prevails. We conclude that the incorporation of high-fidelity transient data provides the optimum route to a foundation model. We constrain our theory with concrete numbers, providing the first public estimates on the computational cost and time to build a foundation model for CFD.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_20455
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fluid Intelligence: A Forward Look on AI Foundation Models in Computational Fluid Dynamics
Ashton, Neil
Brandstetter, Johannes
Mishra, Siddhartha
Fluid Dynamics
Driven by the advancement of GPUs and AI, the field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is undergoing significant transformations. This paper bridges the gap between the machine learning and CFD communities by deconstructing industrial-scale CFD simulations into their core components. Our main contribution is to propose the first scaling law that incorporates CFD inputs for both data generation and model training to outline the unique challenges of developing and deploying these next-generation AI models for complex fluid dynamics problems. Using our new scaling law, we establish quantitative estimates for the large-scale limit, distinguishing between regimes where the cost of data generation is the dominant factor in total compute versus where the cost of model training prevails. We conclude that the incorporation of high-fidelity transient data provides the optimum route to a foundation model. We constrain our theory with concrete numbers, providing the first public estimates on the computational cost and time to build a foundation model for CFD.
title Fluid Intelligence: A Forward Look on AI Foundation Models in Computational Fluid Dynamics
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.20455