particle system for cloud or smoke

Question

I am trying to make a simple particle system for cloud and smoke simulation using OpenGL and CUDA.

How can I make the particles in the particle system behave as a real cloud or smoke would behave in some low turbulent winds?

Some problems I'm having right now is:

1. The particles clump together in a big ball
2. The particles spread away into infinity
3. The particles suddenly slingshot themselves away.

I've already done the rendering of the particles so I'm satisfied in that area.

Answer 1

The little grasshopper has some fantastic tutorials on particle systems of this nature: Noise Based Particles (smoke), Noise Based Particles II (smoke), Simple Fluid Simulation (smoke), and Deep Opacity Maps (clouds). Most of these are purely OpenGL but the overall techniques could be applied in CUDA / OpenGL interops if you so desired.

Answer 2

Maybe you should study the Reynolds Boids, it will provide you some ideas to avoid those problems:

http://www.red3d.com/cwr/boids/