Skip to main content
Log in

A wind tunnel study of mean and fluctuating concentrations in a plume dispersing over a two-dimensional hill

  • Published:
Boundary-Layer Meteorology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the behaviour of the statistics of concentration fluctuations in a passive plume dispersing over a two-dimensional hill of moderate steepness. Recently developed high frequency response Flame Ionization Detector (FID) technology with a frequency response in excess of 200 Hz was utilized to obtain an extensive set of measurements of the mean and fluctuating plume concentrations. Plumes dispersing over flat terrain and over a hill with a maximum slope of 0.3 were studied. For both cases, extensive turbulent flow measurements were also carried out.

The measured mean plume concentration profiles were of a generally Gaussian form and showed the expected effects of surface reflection for the flat terrain and hill. Plume intermittency and concentration fluctuation intensity were calculated at all measurement locations. Conditional and unconditional plume concentration statistics were calculated. The conditional (in-plume) concentrations and intensities were more uniform with height than for the unconditional ones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bluemen, W. (ed.): 1990, ‘Atmospheric Processes Over Complex Terrain’,Micrometeorological Monographs 23, 83–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambustion Ltd.: 1990, ‘HFR300 Fast FID User Manual and Specifications’, 1–11.

  • Carruthers, D. J., Hunt, J. C. R. and Holroyd, R. J.: 1989, ‘Airflow and Dispersion Over Complex Terrain’,Air Pollution Modelling and its Application VII, Plenum, 515–529.

  • Dinar, N., Kaplan, H. and Kleiman, M.: 1988, ‘Characterization of Concentration Fluctuations of a Surface Plume in a Neutral Boundary Layer’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 45, 157–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Finnigan, J. J., Raupach, M. R., Bradley, E. F. and Aldis, G. K.: 1990, ‘A Wind Tunnel Study of Turbulent Flow Over a Two-Dimensional Ridge’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 50, 277–317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gong, W. and Ibbetson, A.: 1989, ‘A Wind Tunnel Study of Turbulent Flow Over Model Hills’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 49, 113–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gong, W.: 1991, ‘A Wind Tunnel Study of Turbulent Dispersion Over Two and Three Dimensional Gentle Hills From Upwind Point Sources in Neutral Flow’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 54, 211–230.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, S. R. and Insley, E. M.: 1989, ‘Time Series Analysis of Concentration and Wind Fluctuations’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 47, 131–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, J. C. R.: 1985, ‘Turbulent Diffusion From Sources in Complex Flows’,Ann. Rev. Fluid Mech. 17, 447–485.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, J. C. R. and Weber, A. H.: 1979, ‘A Lagrangian Statistical Analysis of Diffusion from a Ground Level Source in a Turbulent Boundary Layer’,Quart. J. Royal Meteorol. Soc. 105, 423–443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, J. C. R.: 1980, ‘Wind Over Hills’,Dept. of Geosciences, Grant No R805595, N.C. State U.

  • Jackson, P. S. and Hunt, J. C. R.: 1975, ‘Turbulent Wind Flow Over a Low Hill’,Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 101, 929–955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mylne, K. R. and Mason, P. J.: 1991, ‘Concentration Fluctuation Measurements in a Dispersing Plume at a Range of up to 1000 m’,Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 117, 177–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawford, B. L.: 1987, ‘Conditional Concentration Statistics for Surface Plumes in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 38, 209–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seinfeld, J. H.: 1986, ‘Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics of Air Pollution’, John Wiley and Sons, pp. 499–584.

  • Walmsley, J. L., Taylor, P. A. and Keith, T.: 1986, ‘A Simple Model of Neutrally Stratified Boundary Layer Flow Over Complex Terrain With Surface Roughness Modulations’,Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 36, 157–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walmsley, J. L., Taylor, P. A. and Salmon, J. R.: 1988, ‘Simple Guidelines for Estimating Wind Speed Variations Due to Small Scale Topographic Features — An Update’,Climatol. Bull. 23, 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Crooks, G., Ramsay, S. A wind tunnel study of mean and fluctuating concentrations in a plume dispersing over a two-dimensional hill. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 66, 155–172 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705464

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705464

Keywords

Navigation