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Modeling the effects of a solid barrier on pollutant dispersion under various atmospheric stability conditions
Citation:
Steffens, J., D. Heist, S. Perry, AND M. Zhang. Modeling the effects of a solid barrier on pollutant dispersion under various atmospheric stability conditions. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 69(4):76-85, (2013).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Atmospheric Modeling and Analysis Division (AMAD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. AMAD′s research program is engaged in developing and evaluating predictive atmospheric models on all spatial and temporal scales for forecasting the Nation′s air quality and for assessing changes in air quality and air pollutant exposures, as affected by changes in ecosystem management and regulatory decisions. AMAD is responsible for providing a sound scientific and technical basis for regulatory policies based on air quality models to improve ambient air quality. The models developed by AMAD are being used by EPA, NOAA, and the air pollution community in understanding and forecasting not only the magnitude of the air pollution problem, but also in developing emission control policies and regulations for air quality improvements.
Description:
There is a growing need for developing mitigation strategies for near-road air pollution. Roadway design is being considered as one of the potential options. Particularly, it has been suggested that sound barriers, erected to reduce noise, may prove effective at decreasing pollutant concentrations. However, there is still a lack of mechanistic understanding of how solid barriers affect pollutant transport, especially under a variety of meteorological conditions. In this study, we utilized the Comprehensive Turbulent Aerosol Dynamics and Gas Chemistry (CTAG) model to simulate the spatial gradients of SF6 concentrations behind a solid barrier under a variety of atmospheric stability conditions collected during the Near Road Tracer Study (NRTS08). We employed two different CFD models, RANS and LES. A recirculation zone, characterized by strong mixing, forms in the wake of a barrier. It is found that this region is important for accuratey predicting pollutant dispersion, but is often insufficiently resolved by the less complex RANS model. The RANS model was found to perform adequately away from the leading edge of the barrier. The LES model, however, performs consistently well at all flow locations. Therefore, the LES model will make a significant improvement compared to the RANS model in regions of strong recirculating flow or edge effects. Our study suggests that advanced simulation tools can potentially provide a variety of numerical experiments that may prove useful for roadway design communities to intelligently design roadways, making effective use of roadside barriers.
URLs/Downloads:
Atmospheric Environment
Modeling the effects of a solid barrier on pollutant dispersion under various atmospheric stability conditions (PDF, NA pp, 810 KB, about PDF)