2/4/2016

UsefulconversionsandformulasforairdispersionmodelingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Usefulconversionsandformulasforair
dispersionmodeling
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Variousgovernmentalagenciesinvolvedwithenvironmentalprotectionandwithoccupationalsafety
andhealthhavepromulgatedregulationslimitingtheallowableconcentrationsofgaseouspollutantsin
theambientairorinemissionstotheambientair.Suchregulationsinvolveanumberofdifferent
expressionsofconcentration.Someexpresstheconcentrationsasppmvandsomeexpressthe
concentrationsasmg/m,whileothersrequireadjustingorcorrectingtheconcentrationstoreference
conditionsofmoisturecontent,oxygencontentorcarbondioxidecontent.Thisarticlepresentsasetof
usefulconversionsandformulasforairdispersionmodelingofatmosphericpollutantsandfor
complyingwiththevariousregulationsastohowtoexpresstheconcentrationsobtainedbysuch
modeling.[1]

Contents
1 Convertingairpollutantconcentrations
2 Correctingconcentrationsforaltitude
3 Standardconditionsforgasvolumes
4 Windspeedconversionfactors
5 Correctingforreferenceconditions
5.1 Correctingtoadrybasis
5.2 Correctingtoareferenceoxygencontent
5.3 Correctingtoareferencecarbondioxidecontent
6 Seealso
7 References
8 Externallinks

Convertingairpollutantconcentrations
Theconversionequationsdependonthetemperatureatwhichtheconversioniswanted(usuallyabout
20to25degreesCelsius).Atanambientairpressureof1atmosphere(101.325kPa),thegeneral
equationis:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_conversions_and_formulas_for_air_dispersion_modeling

1/5

2/4/2016

UsefulconversionsandformulasforairdispersionmodelingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

andforthereverseconversion:

where:
ppmv =airpollutantconcentration,inpartspermillionbyvolume
mg/m =milligramsofpollutantpercubicmeterofair
=atmospherictemperatureinkelvins=273.15+C
0.08205 =UniversalGasLawconstantinatml/(molK)
=molecularweightoftheairpollutant(dimensionless)
Notes:
PollutionregulationsintheUnitedStatestypicallyreferencetheirpollutantlimitstoanambient
temperatureof20to25Casnotedabove.Inmostothernations,thereferenceambient
temperatureforpollutantlimitsmaybe0Corothervalues.
1percentbyvolume=10,000ppmv(i.e.,partspermillionbyvolume).
atm=absoluteatmosphericpressureinatmospheres
mol=grammole

Correctingconcentrationsforaltitude
Atmosphericpollutantconcentrationsexpressedasmassperunitvolumeofatmosphericair(e.g.,
mg/m,g/m,etc.)atsealevelwilldecreasewithincreasingaltitudebecausetheatmosphericpressure
decreaseswithincreasingaltitude.
Thechangeofatmosphericpressurewithaltitudecanbeobtainedfromthisequation:[2]

Givenanatmosphericpollutantconcentrationatanatmosphericpressureof1atmosphere(i.e.,atsea
levelaltitude),theconcentrationatotheraltitudescanbeobtainedfromthisequation:

where:
=altitude,inhundredsofmeters
=atmosphericpressureataltitude ,inatmospheres
=Concentrationatsealevelaltitude,inmassperunitvolume
=Concentrationataltitude ,inmassperunitvolume
Asanexample,givenaconcentrationof260mg/matsealevel,calculatetheequivalentconcentrationat
analtitudeof1,800meters:
Ca=2600.987718=208mg/mat1,800metersaltitude

Standardconditionsforgasvolumes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_conversions_and_formulas_for_air_dispersion_modeling

2/5

2/4/2016

UsefulconversionsandformulasforairdispersionmodelingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Anormalcubicmeter(Nm)isthemetricexpressionofgasvolumeatstandardconditionsanditis
usually(butnotalways)definedasbeingmeasuredat0Cand1atmosphereofpressure.
Astandardcubicfoot(scf)istheUSAexpressionofgasvolumeatstandardconditionsanditisoften
(butnotalways)definedasbeingmeasuredat60Fand1atmosphereofpressure.Thereareother
definitionsofstandardgasconditionsusedintheUSAbesides60Fand1atmosphere.
Thatbeingunderstood:
1Nmofanygas(measuredat0Cand1atmosphereofabsolutepressure)equals37.326scfof
thatgas(measuredat60Fand1atmosphereofabsolutepressure).
1kmolofanyidealgasequals22.414Nmofthatgasat0Cand1atmosphereofabsolute
pressure...and1lbmolofanyidealgasequals379.482scfofthatgasat60Fand1atmosphereof
absolutepressure.
Notes:
kmol=kilomoleorkilogrammole
lbmol=poundmole

Windspeedconversionfactors
Meteorologicaldataincludeswindspeedswhichmaybeexpressedasstatutemilesperhour,knots,or
meterspersecond.Herearetheconversionfactorsforthosevariousexpressionsofwindspeed:
1m/s=2.237statutemile/h=1.944knots
1knot=1.151statutemile/h=0.514m/s
1statutemile/h=0.869knots=0.447m/s
Note:
1statutemile=5,280feet=1,609meters

Correctingforreferenceconditions
Manyenvironmentalprotectionagencieshaveissuedregulationsthatlimittheconcentrationof
pollutantsingaseousemissionsanddefinethereferenceconditionsapplicabletothoseconcentration
limits.Forexample,sucharegulationmightlimittheconcentrationofNOxto55ppmvinadry
combustionexhaustgascorrectedto3volumepercentO2.Asanotherexample,aregulationmightlimit
theconcentrationofparticulatematterto0.1grainperstandardcubicfoot(i.e.,scf)ofdryexhaustgas
correctedto12volumepercentCO2.
EnvironmentalagenciesintheUSAoftendenoteastandardcubicfootofdrygasas"dscf"oras"scfd".
Likewise,astandardcubicmeterofdrygasisoftendenotedas"dscm"or"scmd"(again,by
environmentalagenciesintheUSA).

Correctingtoadrybasis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_conversions_and_formulas_for_air_dispersion_modeling

3/5

2/4/2016

UsefulconversionsandformulasforairdispersionmodelingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Ifagaseousemissionsampleisanalyzedandfoundtocontainwatervaporandapollutantconcentration
ofsay40ppmv,then40ppmvshouldbedesignatedasthe"wetbasis"pollutantconcentration.The
followingequationcanbeusedtocorrectthemeasured"wetbasis"concentrationtoa"drybasis"
concentration:[3]

where:
=fractionoftheemittedexhaustgas,byvolume,whichiswatervapor
Thus,awetbasisconcentrationof40ppmvinagashaving10volumepercentwatervaporwouldhavea
drybasisconcentration=40(10.10)=44.44ppmv.

Correctingtoareferenceoxygencontent
Thefollowingequationcanbeusedtocorrectameasuredpollutantconcentrationinanemittedgas
(containingameasuredO2content)toanequivalentpollutantconcentrationinanemittedgascontaining
aspecifiedreferenceamountofO2:[4]

where:
=correctedconcentrationinadrygashavingaspecifiedreferencevolume%O2=
=measuredconcentrationinadrygashavingameasuredvolume%O2=
Thus,ameasuredNOxconcentrationof45ppmv(drybasis)inagashaving5volume%O2is
45(20.93)(20.95)=50.7ppmv(drybasis)ofNOxwhencorrectedtoagashavingaspecified
referenceO2contentof3volume%.

Correctingtoareferencecarbondioxidecontent
Thefollowingequationcanbeusedtocorrectameasuredpollutantconcentrationinanemittedgas
(containingameasuredCO2content)toanequivalentpollutantconcentrationinanemittedgas
containingaspecifiedreferenceamountofCO2:[5]

where:
=correctedconcentrationinadrygashavingaspecifiedreferencevolume%CO2=
=measuredconcentrationinadrygashavingameasuredvolume%CO2=

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_conversions_and_formulas_for_air_dispersion_modeling

4/5

2/4/2016

UsefulconversionsandformulasforairdispersionmodelingWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Thus,ameasuredparticulatesconcentrationof0.1grainperdscfinagasthathas8volume%CO2is
0.1(128)=0.15grainperdscfwhencorrectedtoagashavingaspecifiedreferenceCO2contentof
12volume%.
Notes:
Althoughppmvandgrainsperdscfhavebeenusedintheaboveexamples,concentrationssuchas
ppbv(i.e.,partsperbillionbyvolume),volumepercent,gramsperdscmandmanyothersmay
alsobeused.
1percentbyvolume=10,000ppmv(i.e.,partspermillionbyvolume).
CaremustbetakenwiththeconcentrationsexpressedasppbvtodifferentiatebetweentheBritish
billionwhichis1012andtheUSAbillionwhichis109.

Seealso
Standardconditionsoftemperatureandpressure
Unitsconversionbyfactorlabel
Atmosphericdispersionmodeling
Roadwayairdispersionmodeling
Bibliographyofatmosphericdispersionmodeling
Accidentalreleasesourceterms
Chokedflow

References
1. AirDispersionModelingConversionsandFormulas(http://www.airdispersion.com/formulas.html)
2. Beychok,MiltonR.(2005).FundamentalsOfStackGasDispersion(4thEditioned.).authorpublished.
ISBN0964458802.
3. 40U.S.CodeofFederalRegulations,ChapterI,Part60,AppendixA3,TestMethod4.
4. 40U.S.CodeofFederalRegulations,ChapterI,Part60,AppendixB,PerformanceSpecification2.
5. 40U.S.CodeofFederalRegulations,ChapterI,Part60.

Externallinks
Moreconversionsandformulasusefulinairdispersionmodelingareavailableinthefeature
articlesatwww.airdispersion.com(http://www.airdispersion.com).
U.S.EPAtutorialcourse(http://www.epa.gov/eogapti1/toc/full_toc.htm)hasveryuseful
information.
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Useful_conversions_and_formulas_for_air_dispersion_modeling&oldid=606365921"
Categories: Atmosphericdispersionmodeling Airpollution Environmentalengineering
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon29April2014,at18:17.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionalterms
mayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetotheTermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.Wikipediaisa
registeredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Useful_conversions_and_formulas_for_air_dispersion_modeling

5/5