AIR QUALITY MODELING

AIR QUALITY MODELING (AQM)

Predict pollutant concentrations at various locations
around the source.

Identify source contribution to air quality problems.

Assess source impacts and design control strategies.

Predict future pollutant concentrations from sources after

implementation of new regulatory programs.
AREAS SURROUNDING THE SITE OF RELEASE
AIR QUALITY MODELING (AQM)
Mathematical and numerical techniques are used in AQM to
simulate the dispersion of air pollutants.

Modeling of the dispersion of pollutants

Toxic and odorous substances
Single or multiple points
Point, Area, or Volume sources

Input data required for Air Quality Modeling

Source characteristics
Meteorological conditions
Site and surrounding conditions
 AMBIENT AIR CONCENTRATION MODELING
Types of Pollutant Sources
Point Sources
e.g., stacks or vents

Area Sources
e.g., landfills, ponds, storage piles

Volume Sources
e.g., conveyors, structures with multiple vents
FACTORS AFFECTING DISPERSION OF POLLUTANTS
IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Source Characteristics
Emission rate of pollutant
Stack height
Exit velocity of the gas
Exit temperature of the gas
Stack diameter

Meteorological Conditions
Wind velocity
Wind direction
Ambient temperature
Atmospheric stability
GAUSSIAN MODELS
Advantages

Produce results that match closely with experimental

data

Incorporate turbulence in an ad-hoc manner

Simple in their mathematics

Quicker than numerical models

Do not require super computers

GAUSSIAN MODELS
Disadvantages

Not suitable if the pollutant is reactive in nature

Fails to incorporate turbulence in comprehensive sense

Unable to predict concentrations beyond radius of

approximately 20 Km

Forgreater distances, wind variations, mixing depths and

temporal variations become predominant
SOURCES OF ERROR IN GAUSSIAN MODEL
NUMERICAL SOLUTIONS
Involves solving a system of partial differential equations
Equations mathematically represent the fate of pollutants
downwind concentration
The number of unknown parameters must be equal to
number of equations
System of equation is written in numerical form with
appropriate numerical scheme and solved using computer
codes
Classes of Numerical Models
Three Dimensional Equations (k-Theory) Model
Higher Order Closure Models (k- Type)
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NUMERICAL MODELS AND
GAUSSIAN MODEL
The degree of completeness in the mathematical
description of the atmospheric dispersion processes

Type of releases i.e., stack, jet or area source are easy to

handle manually

The models are designed to handle, degree of completeness

in the description of non-transport processes like chemical
reactions

Terrain feature complexities for which the model is designed

METHODS TO INCORPORATE PLUME RISE
Effective Source Height Method
Variable Plume Model Method
METHODS TO INCORPORATE PLUME RISE
Effective source height method
Independent of downwind distance, x
Effective source height,
h = hs + h ht
where,
hs = Physical chimney height
ht = Maximum terrain height between the source and receptor

Variable plume method

Takes into account the tilt of the plume
PROBLEM
Calculate the nighttime concentration of nitrogen oxides
1 km downward of an open, burning dump if the dump
emits NOx at the rate of 4 g/sec. The wind speed is 4
m/sec at 10 m above ground level. The one-hour
average diffusion coefficients at 1 km are estimated as sy
= 70 m and sz = 50 m and the dump is assumed to be a
point source.
SOLUTION
Use Gaussian Model for ground level, center-line
concentration from a point source at ground level.
MODIFICATIONS IN GAUSSIAN PLUME MODEL
Simplified Equations for Maximum Ground Level
Concentration

Location of maximum concentration

Ground Level Concentration during Limited Mixing

Condition

Where,
L = Mixing Height
Concentration Estimate for Various Sampling Times

C2 = C1 (t1/t2) q

where,
q lies between 0.17 and 0.5

Average Time Multiplying Factor

3 hours 0.9 (0.1)
8 hours 0.7 (0.1)
24 hours 0.4 (0.1)
PLUME DISPERSION PARAMETERS
Different Methods to Calculate Sigmas
Experimental data

Modified Experimental Curves

Lagrangian Auto Correlation Function

Moment-Concentration Method

Taylor's Statistical Theory

PLUME DISPERSION PARAMETERS
Factors Considered while Calculating Sigmas
Nature of Release

Sampling Time

Release Height

Terrain Features

Velocity Field
PASQUILL CURVES
Curves are based on smoke plume elevation Hsp (visible
portion) and angular spread q using the relations
z= Hsp/2.14

y= qx/4.28

The numerical coefficient 2.14 is just the 10% ordinate

of the normal error curve
TVA DISPERSION COEFFICIENTS
Sigmas are calculated as:
= Area / [C *(2*p) 0.5]
p peak
Where,
Area = Base times the average height of Concentration Profile along the axis
Cpeak = Maximum concentrations in that profile

In a number of cases, sz is calculated using

Cmax = Q / [2*U* y* z*p]

and thus, the distribution is considered Gaussian i.e.,

C = Cmax exp[-0.5*(xg/s)2]
PROBLEM-1
For the following data, find the maximum ground level
concentration at 4.2 km from the following stack:
Effective stack height = 75 m
Emission rate = 2520 g/sec
Wind speed at stack height = 6 m/sec
y = 560 m
z = 535 m
PROBLEM-2
For the following data, find the maximum ground level
concentration.
Effective stack height = 150 m
Emission rate = 1260 g/sec
Wind speed at stack height = 6 m/sec

o Answer: C = --------- g/m3