Industrial Ecology AERMOD assignment

INSTRUCTIONS
The assignment requires to set up a simulation of pollutant dispersion in air (use of
AERMOD and Surfer software packages) and to answer to some questions regarding the
simulation results.
You can directly answer to the questions in this same text, in the .doc version (attached).
Submit the file on Virtuale together with the following files:
- AERMOD output file (format .out)
- Surfer concentration map (format .pdf or .png)

CASE STUDY
In an harbour area, an oil storage tank releases emissions of benzene from its relief valve.
 the storage tank is a floating roof tank (diameter = 40 m, max height = 12 m).
 the annual emission rate of benzene from the tank is estimated as 55 kg/year.
The other emission source of benzene in the area is the stack of a hazardous waste
incinerator.
 the incinerator releases a total flue gas flow rate equal to 30,000 Nm3/h
 the average benzene concentration in the flue gas at stack is equal to 0,5 mg/Nm3
 the stack is 25 m high, 1.2 m wide and releases the flue gas at a temperature of 120
°C (consider this value to calculate emission velocity)
The two sources are spatially located as shown in Figure 1.

Tips for the AERMOD simulation

Consider the tank as an AREA source and the stack as a POINT source.
Use the meteo file attached: GALV.sfc and GALV.pfl. Insert the following two lines in the ME
section of the AERMOD input file where the ID of the meteo station is required:
ME SURFDATA 12976 2012 Galveston
ME UAIRDATA 3937 2012 Galveston

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Figure 1. Location of the two sources (for simulation n° 1) and the measurement point (for
simulation n° 2).

Simulation n° 1: TANK + STACK

Map the annual average concentration of benzene in the surrounding of the sources.
Consider a 4 x 4 km grid, with spacing equal to 100 m, positioned as in Figure 1.
1. Report the parameters used to introduce the two sources in the simulation:

Source Qem (g/s) H (m) T (K) v (m/s) D (m)

Tank 0.0000014 12 - - 20
Stack 0.0042 25 393.15 10.6 1.2

2. Print (e.g. as a PDF or PNG image) and attach to this report the map of the

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 distribution of the annual average concentration of benzene at the ground.

3. Print the list of the 5 worst daily average concentrations of benzene estimated in the
receptor grid.
Which is the highest daily average concentration observed in the entire year?
_____________0.12254_________ µg/m3
In which day? ________31/07/2012________________
Where (coordinates of the point)? _________________-200.00 -400.00_______

4. Which is the source emitting the highest mass flow rate of benzene? Is it the same
source from which the highest benzene concentrations at the ground level derive
from? Why or why not?

We can clearly sea that the stack of incinerator is emitting much higher mass flow rate of
benzene(0.042g/s) whereas on the contrary the tank (0.0000014g/s). After generating the

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map , we can say that the most elevated fixation at ground level is in the whole area
encompassing the tank .This can depend on both the mathematical attributes that are
measurements and lebel and also from the speed of discharge and delivery temperature
The higher outflow is due to incinerator. The high speed of ischarge can take the crest from
the source before reaching the ground level, whereas this is more complicated in the case of
tank that has a lower speed.
Finally, we also need to take into account that the outflow by the incinerator can contribute
on the ground .
Simulation n° 2: STACK ONLY
The incinerator is also responsible for the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2), with an average
concentration in the flue gas equal to 10 mg/Nm3.
We want to estimate the resulting atmospheric concentration at the ground level of this
pollutant.
Consider the stack of the incinerator as the ONLY emission source.
5. Introduce a measurement point as shown in Figure 1. Report the worst hourly
average concentration, the worst daily average concentration and the average
annual concentration of SO2 estimated for the measurement point.
Worst hourly average concentration (µg/m3):
_____0.416___________________________

Worst daily average concentration (µg/m3):

_______________0.1301_________________

Annual average concentration (µg/m3):

_____________0.00858___________________

6. If we wanted to halve the value of the worst hourly average concentration estimated
at the measurement point, at which value should we put the concentration of SO 2 in
the flue gas released at the stack of the incinerator? Explain your answer.

SO2 concentration to be set at the stack of the incinerator (mg/Nm 3):

______________5_____

Halving Q leads to halving of the concentration at ground level, Q is the product of flow rate
and the concentation of flue gas at stack. So halving the concentration of sulfur dixoxide
would also help to obtain the worst hourly average concentration.

7. The plant manager of the incinerator is considering retrofitting the plant to increase
energy recovery from the heat of the flue gas.
In the new configuration, the flue gas will be released at stack at a temperature of 60
°C, instead of the current value of 120 °C.
We want to estimate beforehand the impact of the new configuration on the

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 atmospheric dispersion of SO2.
Report the the worst hourly average concentration and the worst daily average
concentration observed at the measurement point in the new configuration (T flue
gas = 60 °C).
How do SO2 concentrations at the measurement point vary compared to what was
calculated at question 5? Why?

Worst hourly average concentration (µg/m3):

_______________3.223_________________

Worst daily average concentration (µg/m3): ______________________0.325__________

As we see here the results are much higher than in part 5 the worst average concentration
and the worst hourly average concentration are much higher, so we can infer that low
temperature will affect the lightness of the crest w.r.t speed of discharge and stead
environmental system.

______________________________