Evaluation of alternative gaussian plume dispersion modeling techniques in estimating short-term sulfur dioxide concentrations

Technical Report · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6252232

Pierce, T E

A routinely applied atmospheric dispersion model was modified to evaluate alternative modeling techniques which allowed for more detailed source data, onsite meteorological data, and several dispersion methodologies. These were evaluated with hourly SO2 concentrations measured at fixed receptors around coal-fired power plants near Paradise, Kentucky, during 1976 and near Johnsonville, Tennessee, during 1977. A significant finding of the evaluation was that the more sophisticated models did not appreciably 'outperform' the routinely applied models. The models using airport meteorological data performed as well as the models using onsite wind data. With the Pasquill-Gifford and Briggs dispersion schemes, small differences in model performance were observed. More substantial differences occurred with models using onsite turbulence measurements. The model using Pasquill's recommendations tended to overpredict peak concentrations. The models based on Draxler's and Cramer's approaches using onsite turbulence yielded mixed results perhaps in part because the lateral standard deviation of wind direction available was the one-hour average of five-minute values (rather than a one-hour value) thus eliminating the longer period fluctuations that are of importance in estimating one-hour concentrations in addition to the shorter period fluctuations. Additional research is recommended to improve the application of onsite turbulence measurements and to provide more accurate estimates of plume trajectories for input to atmospheric dispersion models.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC (USA). Environmental Sciences Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6252232
• Report Number(s): PB-84-223627; EPA-600/3-84/079
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CHALCOGENIDES
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIFFUSION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FORECASTING
FUNCTIONS
GAUSS FUNCTION
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
POLLUTION
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
WASTES