Air Pollution Dispersion

Dispersion Processes
Convective Dispersion
Air Parcel Dynamics
Adiabatic Process
Lapse Rate
Equilibrium and Stability
Atmospheric Stability
Stability and Dispersion
 Temperature Inversions
Stability
Formation/Types
Mixing Height

Application: Chimney Plumes

Plume Type vs. Stability
Enhancing Plume Dispersion
 Diffusion Stable
Turbulence Unstable
Buoyancy
Neutral
Convection

Air Parcel Stability

Dispersion Motion
Processes Lapse Rates

Air Pollution Dispersion

Adiabatic
Processes
Temperature Mixing
I nversion Height

Radiation Chi mney

Advection Plumes
Subsidence
 Nightti me
Radi ati on cooling
Types Advecti on
Subsi dence W inds
Temperature Regi onal
I nversi ons Large-scale
Sinking air

Air Pollution Dispersion

Types
Chimney P lumes
Mixing Height
D ispersi on Tall
Seasonal Enhancem ent Stacks
Ventilation Turbulence
Factor Exit Velocity
Exit Temperature
 Dispersion Processes

Defn.: A substance mixes in and

becomes diluted within a
larger volume of another
substance.

Molecular Diffusion

Turbulence

Convection/Advection
 Molecular Diffusion

Molecules drift from regions of

high concentration to regions of
lower concentration
Larger concentration gradient
higher diffusion rate
Length scale of motion = molecular
Slow!!
 Turbulence
Bulk air motion in random directions

Plume
Edge
y

Wind
Plume
Core
} Plume

Strong, gusty winds

Pollution generate the most
turbulence
 Convection/Advection
Mass transport of pollutants
by winds

Advection: horizontal motion

Convection: vertical motion

 Air Parcel Mechanics

A specified volume of Pout

air (ex.: bubbl e, bal loon)

Pin
Constraints:
P ins ide = P outside at
all times
No mixing of air
 Parcel Buoyancy
Buoyancy: up- or downward force
from combination of atmospheric
pressure and gravity
Pressure

Air
? Parcel
Up- or downward
motion of air
parcel depends on
buoyancy
Gravity
Air Density vs. Temperature

1
for P = constant
T

Cold air is more dense than warm air

 Buoyancy in Fluids
Negative
buoyancy

Positive
buoyancy
> <
parcel envir parcel envir

Parcel Parcel
colder warmer
than envir. than envir.
 Adiabatic Process
No heat exchanged between a
system and its surroundings

Heat
Adiabatic

Compression: P , T
Expansion: P , T
 Lapse Rate
Defn.: Rate of temperature decrease as
altitude increases.

Lapse rate = or
z (gamma)
z2 T2
T2 T1 T
=
z2 z 1 z
z1 T1
=
T as z : positive
 Atmospheric Stability

Describes behavior of air after it

has been disturbed
Indicates atmospheres ability to
mix vertically
Related to air parcel buoyancy
after perturbing parcel
 Stabi l ity Behav ior
Behavior after disturbance of
equilibrium characterizes stability

Stable
 Stabi l ity Behav ior
Behavior after disturbance of
equilibrium characterizes stability

Unstable
 Stabi l ity Behav ior
Behavior after disturbance of
equilibrium characterizes stability

Neutral
Making Air Parcels Buoyant
Need: parcel temp. envir. temp.
Heat up air parcel at the ground
Or, force parcel upward so it loses
temp. via adiabatic expansion
z

T
 =0 Parcel
Environm ent
z

(= 10C/km)

>0 <0

T
 Parcel
Environm ent
z
Neutral
= Stable
<

Unstable
>

T
Stability Criteria

Stable: <

Unstable: >

Neutral: =
 Stability vs. Dispers ion

Turbul ence gives parcel initial push

Stabi l ity vs. mi xing:
Stablevertical motion suppres sed
vertical dispersion discouraged
Unstablevertical motion encouraged
vertical dispersion enhanced
 Temperature I nvers ions
Defn: Temp. increases with
increasing altitude ( <
0)
z

T
I nversi ons are extremely stabl e
Temperature Inversion Aloft

<0
z

I nversion
base

T
 Radiation Inversion
Advection Inversion
Regional Subsidence Inversion
Large-scale Subsidence Inversion
 Radiation Invers ion

Infrared radiation from ground to space

Ground cools off Shall ow

at night; cools air
next to it
 Advection I nversion

Warm air
inland
Cool m arine air
Cool ocean

Cool air flows

underneath warm air

Occurs as Marine Layer along

SoCal coast
 Regional Subs idence
I nversion
N.E. Deserts Weak Santa
Ana Wind

Air flows from

high altitude S.W. Coast
to low altitude
A ir compresses
adiabatically
while descending
Large-Scale Subsidence
Inversion

Air aloft sinks (subsides) and warms from

adiabatic compression

L.A. has semi-permanent

subsidence inversion
 Mixing Heights

z
Inversion or stable layer

Neutral
M ixed
Mixing Height
Layer

Pollution 1
concentration Mixing
Height
M ixing Height vs. Season
MH ground temperature

Winter: l ow temp. Summer: high temp.

z Summer

Winter MH S
MH W

(Morning, calm air) T

 Ventilation Factor
Volume

Mixing VF = MH WS
height

Wind speed
Chimney Plume Dispersion

Fanning
d

(Top view)

d Looping

d

Coning

Fumigation
d

d Lofti ng

Dispersion Enhancement
Turbulence generated in
flow around buildings

Downwash

Top

Wake Eddy
 T all smokestacks
Larger volume for
mixing pollutant

Taller ch imney lower smoke

concentration at ground
 Inversion Layer

Fanning pl ume

Inversion base

Fumigation Plume
 Lofting Plume

Inversion top
Fanning Plume
Fumigation Plume
Inversion Layer
I ncrease Exit Velocity

High Vexit Higher exit velocity

lower pollution
concentration at
ground

Low Vexit
 How to Increase Exit
Velocity

Pump out faster with fan

Fan uses $$
energy

Reduce diameter
of chimney tip

Restricted flow
I ncrease Exit Temperature
Hotter smoke is more buoyant

Hot plume

Cool plume
How to I ncrease Exit
Temperature

Uses energy

Heat up smoke
$$ for energy,
maintenance

Uses energy
Alters smoke
composition
Hotter combustion