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Air Pollution Dispersion

This document discusses air pollution dispersion modeling and meteorology. It introduces primary and secondary meteorological parameters that influence pollution dispersion, including wind speed, direction, and atmospheric stability. Atmospheric stability is determined by comparing the ambient air temperature lapse rate to the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Different stability conditions produce different plume types such as looping, fanning, or lofting plumes. The Gaussian plume model is described as a tool for modeling pollution dispersion from a point source by accounting for factors such as plume rise, horizontal and vertical dispersion, and wind speed profile with height. An example application of the model is provided to estimate downwind pollutant concentrations.

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Gaurav Verma
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122 views33 pages

Air Pollution Dispersion

This document discusses air pollution dispersion modeling and meteorology. It introduces primary and secondary meteorological parameters that influence pollution dispersion, including wind speed, direction, and atmospheric stability. Atmospheric stability is determined by comparing the ambient air temperature lapse rate to the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Different stability conditions produce different plume types such as looping, fanning, or lofting plumes. The Gaussian plume model is described as a tool for modeling pollution dispersion from a point source by accounting for factors such as plume rise, horizontal and vertical dispersion, and wind speed profile with height. An example application of the model is provided to estimate downwind pollutant concentrations.

Uploaded by

Gaurav Verma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Air Pollution: Meteorology and

Dispersion Modeling

Why are these plumes so different?

Air Quality and Meteorology


Primary Metrological Parameter
Wind speed, Wind Direction, Atmospheric
Stability

Secondary Metrological Parameter


sunlight
temperature
precipitation and humidity
Topography
Energy from the sun and earths rotation
drives atmospheric circulation

Stability
Dry adiabatic lapse rate temperature
decreases due to lower pressure (ideal gas law)

dT

1.00 C/100 m -5.4 F / 1000 ft


dz
Ambient (actual) lapse rate
< (temperature falls faster) unstable or
superadiabatic
> (temperature falls slower) stable or
subadiabatic
= (same rate) neutral

Example
Z(m)
2
318

T(C)
-3.05
-6.21

T T2 T1 6.21 3.05

0.0100 C/m
z z 2 z1
318 2

1.00 C/100 m
Since lapse rate = , atmosphere is neutral

Standard Plume: Moderate wind speed:


Moderate radiation, night time
Horizontal dispersion at a right angle to the
wind is due to turbulence and diffusion, which
occurs at the same rate as the vertical
dispersion, which is not being opposed nor
encouraged by the stability (or lack of it) in the
atmosphere.
Plume spreads equally in the vertical and
horizontal as it propagates downstream, forming
a coning plume

Example
Z(m)
10
202

T(C)
5.11
1.09

T T2 T1 1.09 5.11

0.0209 C/m
z z 2 z1
202 10

2.09 C/100 m
Since lapse rate is more negative than ,
(-1.00 C/100 m), atmosphere is unstable

In unstable air, the plume will whip up and down as the atmosphere mixes
around (whenever an air parcel goes up, there must be air going down
someplace else to maintain continuity, and the plume follows these air currents).
This gives the plume the appearance that it is looping around.
Vertical dispersion is very high.
Less wind speed: Strong & Moderate radiation, day time Mechanical Turbulence
is enhanced.
High probability of high concentrations sporadically at ground level close to
stack.

Example
Z(m)
18
286

T(C)
14.03
12.56

T T2 T1 12.56 14.03

0.0055 C/m
z z 2 z1
286 18
0.55 C/100 m

Suppress Vertical Dispersion

Since lapse rate more positive than ,


atmosphere is stable

High wind speed: Night time, High horizontal dispersion, Vertical dispersion is
suppresses by stable atmosphere.
In the vertical, dispersion is suppressed by the stability of the atmosphere, so
pollution does not spread toward the ground. This results in very low pollution
concentrations at the ground

Temperature Inversions
Extreme case of stability when lapse rate
is actually positive, i.e. temperature
increases with altitude
Resulting temperature inversion prevents
nearly all upward mixing

Fanning Plume:
Usually occurs at night, or 1200m-1800m above ground. There is high ground
concentration if stack is short or if plume moves through rugged terrain. Occurs
in stable inversion atmospheric conditions.

Lofting Plume: favorable in the sense that fewer impacts


at ground level. Pollutants go up into environment. They
are created when atmospheric conditions are unstable
above the plume

Fumigation:
most dangerous plume: contaminants are all coming
down to ground level. They are created when
atmospheric conditions are inversion stable above the
plume and unstable below. This happens most often
after the daylight sun has warmed the atmosphere,
which turns a night time fanning plume into fumigation
for about a half an hour.

Effect of Lapse Rate on Plumes

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model
Model Structure and Assumptions
pollutants released from a virtual point
source
advective transport by wind
dispersive transport (spreading) follows
normal (Gaussian) distribution away from
trajectory
constant emission rate

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model
Model Structure and Assumptions (cont)
wind speed constant with time and elevation
pollutant is conservative (no reaction)
pollutant is reflected by ground
terrain is flat and unobstructed
uniform atmospheric stability

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model

x, y,0, H

E
exp
s y s z u

1 y

2 s y

1
H
exp

s

2

Where = downwind concentration at


ground level (g/m3)
E = emission rate of pollutant (g/s)
sy,sz = plume standard deviations (m)
u = wind speed (m/s)
x, y, z, H = distances (m)

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model Effective Stack Height
H h H
where
H = Effective stack height (m)
h = height of physical stack (m)
H = plume rise (m)

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model Effective Stack Height
Hollands formula

vs
H
u

1.5

Ts Ta
d
2.68 10 P

T
a

where vs = stack velocity (m/s)


d = stack diameter (m)
u = wind speed (m)
P = pressure (kPa)
Ts = stack temperature (K)
Ta = air temperature (K)

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model Stability Categories

A Extremely Unstable

D Neutral

B Moderately Unstable

E Slightly Stable

C Slightly Unstable

F Moderately Stable

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model Horizontal Dispersion

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model Vertical Dispersion

Point Source Gaussian Plume


Model Wind Speed Correction
Unless the wind speed at the virtual stack
height is known, it must be estimated from the
ground wind speed

z2

u2 u1
z1

where ux = wind speed at


elexation zx
p = empirical constant

Example
A stack in an urban area is emitting 80 g/s
of NO. It has an effective stack height of
100 m. The wind speed is 4 m/s at 10 m.
It is a clear summer day with the sun
nearly overhead. Estimate the ground
level concentration at a) 2 km downwind
on the centerline and b) 2 km downwind,
0.1 km off the centerline.

Example
1. Determine stability class
Assume wind speed is 4 km at ground
surface. Description suggests strong
solar radiation.
Stability class B

Example
2. Estimate the wind speed at the effective stack
height
Note: effective stack height given no need to
calculate using Hollands formula

z2

u2 u1
z1

100
4

10

0.15

5.65 m/s

Example
3. Determine y and z

y = 290
z = 220

220
290

Example
4. Determine concentration using Eq
a. x = 2000, y = 0

80
1 0
1 100
C (2000,0)
exp
exp

(290)(220)(5.6)
2 290
2 220

C (2000,0) 6.43 10 5 g/m3 64.3 g/m3

Example
b. x = 2000, y = 0.1 km = 100 m

80
1
C (2000,100)
exp
(290)(220)(5.6)
2

100
1 100
exp

290
2 220

C (2000,0) 6.06 10 5 g/m3 60.6 g/m3

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