Fundamental for

Atmospheric Dispersion and Transport

ME 107 1st assignment

5/8/2012













Name




Bui Hoang Ha


32. Is it at stable or unstable condition? High or low wind speed? Does it happen during the day or
night? Is it good for dispersing pollutants?

The image above shows an example of the unstable case with high convective turbulence and low
wind speed. Under this super-adiabatic condition (environmental lapse rate is higher than the dry
adiabatic lapse rate), both upward and downward movement of the plume is possible.
This condition may happen during the day with low wind speed and basically it is good for
dispersing pollutants. However, although the large eddies tend to disperse pollutants over a wide
region, high ground level concentrations may occur close to the stack.

33. What is the stability class? Good vertical mixing? On sunny or cloudy days? Good for dispersing
pollutants? What is the ground level concentration as a function of distance from the stack?

The image above shows an example of the stable case with strong wind and no turbulence. The
stability class is very close to neutral, may be C, slightly unstable or E, slightly stable. This condition,
which may happen during partly cloudy days, has good vertical mixing and is good for dispersing
pollutants. The plume enlarges in the shape of a cone. A major part of pollution may be carried fairly
far downwind before reaching ground. The exit temperature in this case is likely approximate the
ambient temperature.
Generally, based on the Gaussian plume model, the ground level concentration as a function of
distance from the stack can be given as below:
( )
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
(
(

(
(

|
|
.
|

\
| +
+
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
2
2 2
2
5 . 0 exp 5 . 0 exp
0
5 . 0 exp
0
5 . 0 exp 5 . 0 exp
2
, 0 , ,
z y z y
z z y z y
H y
U
Q
H H y
U
Q
H y x C
o o o o t
o o o o o t

Where:
C is steady-state concentration at a specific point (g/m
3
);
Q is emission rate of pollutant (g/s);

z y
ando o are horizontal and vertical standard deviations of plume concentration, which is the
function of x; (
q
z
p
y
bx ax = = o o ; )
U is average wind speed at stack height (m/s);
y is horizontal distances from plume centerline (m);
z is vertical distance from ground level (m);
H is effective stack height (m)
For this case, let us assume the stability class is C, then we can calculate
z y
ando o using values
given in the table below:

Replacing the results of
z y
ando o into the equation of C(x, y, 0, H) above we will get the ground
level concentration for this case.

34. What is the stability class? What is the top view of the plume? What is the ground level
concentration as a function of distance from the stack?

A fanning plume, as seen in the image above, usually occurs in the presence of a negative lapse rate
when vertical dispersion is restricted. The pollutants disperse at the stack height, horizontally in the
88812 . 0
22759 . 0 x ax
p
y
= = o

9074 . 0
11486 . 0 x bx
q
z
= = o

form of a fanning plume. The stability class may be F, moderately stable or G, extremely stable. Then
vertical mixing is limited and the top view of this plume looks like a fan. For a high stack, fanning is
considered a favorable meteorological condition because it does not contribute to ground level
pollution.
For this case, let us assume the stability class is F, then we can calculate
z y
ando o using values
given in the table below (assume 500m < x <3000m):

Replacing the results of
z y
ando o into the equation of C(x, y, 0, H) we will get the ground level
concentration for this case as below:
( )
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|

(
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
6485 . 0
2
88144 . 0 6485 . 0 88144 . 0
2
2
) 1549 . 0 (
5 . 0 exp
) 07948 . 0 (
5 . 0 exp
) 1549 . 0 )( 07948 . 0 (
5 . 0 exp 5 . 0 exp , 0 , ,
x
H
x
y
x x U
Q
H y
U
Q
H y x C
z y z y
t
o o o o t


35. Why cant the pollutants be dispersed upward? Does it happen during the day or night? What is
the ground level concentration as a function of distance from the stack? Whats your opinion about
requiring power plants to reduce their power output from 3 am to 3 hours after sunrise?

As seen in the image above, under the height of the stack, the environmental lapse rate is the same as
the dry adiabatic lapse rate. Therefore, the atmosphere is in a state of neutral stability. Vertical air
movement is neither encouraged nor hindered under this stack height. Over that height, the
88144 . 0
07948 . 0 x ax
p
y
= = o

6485 . 0
1549 . 0 x bx
q
z
= = o

temperature increases with altitude, or we have very stable condition (we consider this condition as a
temperature inversion). In this case, cooler air near the height of plume point is trapped by a layer of
warmer air above it and this condition allows virtually no vertical air motion upward.
This condition may happen in the early hours the morning when earths surface is cooler than the
above layer. As the ground warms in the morning, air below an inversion layer becomes unstable.
When the instability reaches the level of the plume that is still trapped below the inversion layer, the
pollutants can be rapidly transported down toward the ground.
Ground-level pollutant concentrations can be very high when this condition (we call it fumigation)
occurs. Therefore, the idea to require power plants to reduce their power output from 3 am to 3 hours
after sunrise could be environmentally acceptable. However, in most cases, sufficiently tall stacks can
prevent this fumigation.

36. Why cant the pollutants be dispersed downward? When does it happen? What is the ground
level concentration as a function of distance from the stack?

As we can see in the Question 35, obviously a major problem for pollutant dispersion is an inversion
layer, which acts as a barrier to vertical mixing. The height of a stack in relation to the height of the
inversion layer may often influence ground-level pollutant concentrations during an inversion.
In the image above, unstable conditions are above an inversion. Therefore, the release of a plume
above the inversion results in effective dispersion without noticeable effects on ground-level
concentrations around the source. The inversion layer acts as a barrier to prevent the plume from
dispersing downward.
This condition, which is known as lofting, usually happens in the late evening through the early
morning, when the earth's surface cools rapidly. As the earth cools, so does the layer of air close to the
surface. If this air cools to a temperature below that of the air above, it becomes very stable, and the
layer of warmer air impedes any vertical motion. During the late evening through the early morning,
this cooling effect is greatest. We call this inversion a radiation inversion. However, the effects of
radiation inversions are often short-lived. Pollutants trapped by the inversions are dispersed by
vigorous vertical mixing after the inversion breaks down shortly after sunrise.
During this condition of lofting, the dispersion of pollutant is basically effective and the ground level
concentration of pollutants around the stack can be very small. Maximum ground level concentration
may be noticed at very far distance from the source of pollutants in this case.