Gaussian Atmospheric Dispersion Example 2

Problem: A stack emits a plume over a rural area at 150 g/s on a fall afternoon with a “surface
wind speed” of 2.5 m/s. The stack has a physical height, h, of 80 m, an inner diameter of 2.5 m,
a stack gas velocity of 20 m/s, and a heat emission rate, QH, of 30,000 kJ/s.
a) Use the Holland formula to calculate the plume rise (m).

𝑘𝐽 1 𝑀𝑊
𝑄𝐻 = 30,000 ∗ = 30 𝑀𝑊
𝑠 1,000 𝑘𝐽
𝑠

Based on the “fall afternoon” and surface wind speed, the stability class is Class C (Table
20.1).

Based on stability class and the rural surface, the wind profile model exponent, p, is 0.10
(Table 20.3).

𝑢2 𝑧2 𝑝
=( )
𝑢1 𝑧1

𝑧2 𝑝
𝑢2 = 𝑢1 ( )
𝑧1

𝑚 80 𝑚 0.10 𝑚
𝑢2 = 2.5 ∗( ) = 3.08
𝑠 10 𝑚 𝑠

𝑣𝑠 ∗ 𝑑𝑠 9.6 𝑄𝐻
∆ℎ = 1.5 +
𝑢 𝑢
𝑚
20 𝑠 ∗ 2.5 𝑚 9.6 ∗ 30 𝑀𝑊
∆ℎ = 1.5 𝑚 + 𝑚 = 24.35 + 93.51 = 𝟏𝟏𝟕. 𝟖𝟔 𝒎
3.08 𝑠 3.08 𝑠

b) Calculate the steady-state concentration at the following point: 15 meters above ground-
level, 800 m downwind from the stack, and 200 m off the centerline (µg/m3).

(x,y,z) = (800 m, 200 m, 15 m)

Using the x value (0.8 km) and the stability class (C) with Figures 20.7 and 20.8:

𝜎𝑦 = 90 𝑚 (𝑜𝑟 88 𝑚)
𝜎𝑧 = 50 𝑚
 𝑔 106 𝜇𝑔 𝜇𝑔
𝑄 = 150 ∗ = 1.5 ∗ 108
𝑠 𝑔 𝑠

𝐻 = ℎ + ∆ℎ
𝐻 = 80 𝑚 + 117.86 𝑚 = 197.86 𝑚
1 𝑦 2 2 2
1 (𝑧−𝐻) 1 (𝑧+𝐻)
𝑄 (− ∗ 2 )
2 𝜎𝑦 (− ∗ 2 ) (− ∗ )
𝐶= ∗𝑒 ∗ [𝑒 2 𝜎𝑧 + 𝑒 2 𝜎𝑧 2 ]
2𝜋𝑢𝜎𝑦 𝜎𝑧

𝜇𝑔
1.5 ∗ 108 𝑠 1 (200 𝑚)2
(− ∗ )
𝐶= 𝑚 ∗ 𝑒 2 (90 𝑚)2
2𝜋 ∗ 3.08 𝑠 ∗ 90 𝑚 ∗ 80 𝑚
2
1 (5−197.86) 1 (5+197.86)2
(− ∗ ) (− ∗ )
∗ [𝑒 2 (50)2 + 𝑒 2 (50)2 ]
𝝁𝒈
𝑪 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟐𝟒
𝒎𝟑

c) Calculate the maximum downwind ground-level concentration (µg/m3).

𝐶𝑢 2 3
( ) = 𝑒 [𝑎+𝑏∗ln(𝐻)+𝑐∗(ln 𝐻) +𝑑∗(ln 𝐻) ]
𝑄 𝑚𝑎𝑥

Using the stability class (C) and Table 20.4:

a = -1.9748
b = -1.9980
c=0
d=0

𝐶𝑢 2 3
( ) = 𝑒 [−1.9748+−1.9980∗ln(197.86)+0∗(ln 197.86) +0∗(ln 197.86) ]
𝑄 𝑚𝑎𝑥

𝐶𝑢
( ) = 3.58 ∗ 10−6
𝑄 𝑚𝑎𝑥

𝜇𝑔
1.5 ∗ 108 𝑠
−6
𝐶𝑚𝑎𝑥 = ( 𝑚 ) ∗ 3.58 ∗ 10
3.08 𝑠
𝝁𝒈
𝑪𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟏𝟕𝟒. 𝟑𝟓 𝟑
𝒎