Air Pollution Examples

for CEL 212-Environmental Engineering

(Second Semester 2012-13)

Air Quality and Meteorology

Dr. Arun Kumar
Civil Engineering (IIT Delhi)
arunku@civil.iitd.ac.in

Courtesy: Dr. Irene Xagoraraki (U.S.A.)

April 27, 2013 arunku@civil.iitd.ac.in 2

Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate Stability

For this parcel of air the • Dry adiabatic lapse rate: temperature decreases with
Adiabatic change in temperature with increased altitude
lapse rate altitude was:
Altitude, z (km)

= (T2-T1)/(z2-z1)
2 = (10-20)oC/(2000-1000)m
z2
= -1 oC/100m
z1
1 When any parcel of air
moves up or down, it’s
temperature will change
according to the adiabatic
dT
Γ=− = −1.00 °C/100m = -5.4 °F / 1000ft
dz
• Atmospheric (actual) lapse rate
< Г (temperature falls faster) unstable (super-adiabatic)
> Г (temperature falls slower) stable (sub-adiabatic)
= Г (same rate) neutral

T2 T1 lapse rate

Temperature, T (oC)

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Example 1 Unstable Conditions Rapid vertical mixing

takes place.
Z(m) T(ºC)
10 5.11

202 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 Г, (-1.00 ºC/100 m)=> atmosphere
is unstable
-1.25 oC/100 m < -1 oC/100m Unstable air encourages the
dispersion and dilution of pollutants.
actual temperature falls faster than Г
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 Air at a certain altitude remains
Stable Conditions Air at a certain altitude remains
at the same elevation.
Neutral Conditions at the same elevation.

Stable air discourages

-0.5 oC/100 m > -1 oC/100m the dispersion and Neutrally stable air
dilution of pollutants. -1 oC/100 m = -1 oC/100m discourages the dispersion
actual temperature falls slower than Г and dilution of pollutants.
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Why are these plumes so different?

neutral

Prediction for Pollutant Concentration

under
inversion layer

Above
inversion

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Point-Source Gaussian Plume Model Point-Source Gaussian Plume Model

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 Point-Source Gaussian Plume Model
Effective Stack Height
• Model Structure and Assumptions
– pollutants released from a “virtual point source” H = h + ∆H
– advective transport by wind
– dispersive transport (spreading) follows normal (Gaussian)
distribution away from trajectory
Where:
– constant emission rate H = Effective stack height (m)
– wind speed constant with time and elevation h = height of physical stack (m)
– pollutant is conservative (no reaction) ∆H = plume rise (m)
– terrain is flat and unobstructed
– uniform atmospheric stability

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Effective Stack Height (Holland’s formula) for

neutral conditions Plume rise equation for neutral
conditions
vs   T −T  
1.5 +  2.68 × 10 (P ) s a d 
−2
∆H = 
u    Ta  

where v s = stack velocity (m/s)

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

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Atmospheric Stability Categories

• How much will be % error in C(x,0,0) if one

uses Heffective(unstable) for stability class?
Think qualitatively.

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3
 Vertical Dispersion
Horizontal Dispersion

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Wind Speed Correction

Example 2
• Unless the wind speed at the virtual stack height is
known, it must be estimated from the ground wind • A stack in an urban area is emitting 80 g/s of NO. It
speed 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
p
z  Where: ux = wind speed at elevation zx the sun nearly overhead.
u2 = u1  2  p = empirical constant • Estimate the ground level concentration at: a) 2 km
 z1  downwind on the centerline and b) 2 km downwind, 0.1
km off the centerline.

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Example 2 Example 2

1. Determine stability class 2. Determine σy and σz

Assume wind speed is 4 km at ground surface. σy = 290, σz = 220
Description suggests strong solar radiation.
Stability class B

220
290

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 Example 2 Example 2

3. Estimate the wind speed at the effective stack 4. Determine concentration

height
Note: effective stack height given – no need to a. x = 2000, y = 0
calculate using Holland’s formula

80  1  0 2   1  100  2 
C (2000,0) = exp −    exp −   
π (290)(220)(5.6)  2  290    2  220  

p 0.15
z   100  C ( 2000 , 0 ) = 6 . 43 × 10 − 5 g/m 3 = 64 . 3 µg/m 3

u2 = u1  2  = 4  = 5.65 m/s
 z1   10 

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Example 2
Example 3
• If in example #2, there is another stack (downwind
distance from 1st stack =500m) with physical height
b. x = 2000, y = 0.1 km = 100 m (203m). Now, calculate overall ground level
concentration at 2 km downwind on the center
line? This 2nd stack is also emitting NO at same 80 g/s
80  1  100  2   1  100  2 
C (2000,100) = exp −    exp −    rate (all other conditions remain constant) (for stack
π (290)(220)(5.6)  2  290    2  220   #2: inside diameter =1.07m; air temp:13degC;
barometric pressure =1000 milibars; stack gas
velocity=9.14m/s; stack gas temp: 149degC)

C ( 2000 ,0 ) = 6 . 06 × 10 − 5 g/m 3 = 60 . 6 µg/m 3

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Example 3 hints Example 4

• From stack #1, we know conc (C1) • Question: Suppose an anemometer at a height of 10
• For stack #2, first calculate effective stack height using m above ground measure wind velocity =2.5m/s.
Holland’s formula
then calculate conc. at given estimate the wind speed at an elevation of 300 m in
distance using approach given in Example 2 (apply rough terrain if atmosphere is unstable (i.e., k=0.2)?
correction for x= distance of receptor from stack
p
#2)
say we get conc. C2 • Answer: z 
• Now total conc. at receptor =Ctotal=C1+C2 • U300/u10=(300/10)(0.2) u2 = u1  2 
• Now see if this is less than Callowable  z1 
• Wind velocity at 300m=(2.5)*(30)(0.2)=4.9m/s
• If not, then we need to control stack heights or source
strength

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5
 CPCB minimum guideline for stack
based on SO2 emission
• CPCB minimum stack height =30m
• So Choose maximum (30m; hSO2)
April 27, 2013 arunku@civil.iitd.ac.in
Example 6
• Repeat Example 5 for stability classes :
B,C and D for calculating C(x,0,0) where
X=0-100m with 4 m gap. Now plot
C(x,0,0) versus distance or for different
stability classes. Use effective height
obtained from Example 6.
April 27, 2013 arunku@civil.iitd.ac.in
Example 5
• A 40% efficient 1000MW coal fired power plant emitts
SO2 at rate =6.47*108 microgram/s. the stack has
effective height =20m (CPCB recommended minimum
height =30m). An anemometer on a 10-m pole
measures 2.5m/s of wind and atmospheric class is C.
• Predict the ground-level concentration of SO2 4 km
directly downwind?
• What would be this concentration if stack height is
changed to 30 m?
• What is the recommended stack height based on
SO2 emission rate?
• Which stack height would you choose?
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