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Using Large-Eddy Simulation and Wind-Tunnel Data to Investigate Peak-to-Mean Concentration Ratios in an Urban Environment

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Abstract

The estimation of short-term-averaged maximum concentration is of foremost importance, for instance, for the impact assessment of odorant sources, flammable gases and the accidental or intentional release of toxic gases. As dispersion models only give 1-h averaged concentration values, a simple formulation (the power-law function) has been widely used in practical applications to overcome this limitation. The present study investigates the potential of large-eddy simulation (LES) to assess the influence of turbulent eddies on averaged concentration over short time intervals and, thus, on dispersion within a building array, with LES results compared with wind-tunnel data. The results indicate that the LES approach underpredicts the concentration fluctuation intensities governed by the smaller eddy motions and we conclude, not surprisingly, that the particular choice of subgrid-scale model and grid size is important in describing the smallest wavelength concentration motions. However, even though the LES results are not able to predict peak-to-mean values for very short averaging times, the fit of the power-law function can be extrapolated to produce a valid relation for shorter averaging times, implying the LES technique can be used to assess the p value (the exponent) in the commonly-used power-law function. This is found to be smaller (by about one half) for sensors in the central position within the array than for those located in short streets or at intersections, and it also decreases more slowly with distance from the source. No substantial difference is found between sensors located at the canopy height H and at half the canopy height, i.e. within the canopy. In contrast, there is a significant difference for sensors located above the building height at 1.5H.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Newton Research Collaboration Programme Award NRCP1617-6-140 administered by the Royal Academy of Engineering as part of the UK Government’s Newton Fund. The study was also financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and Fundação Amparo à Pesquisa do Espírito Santo (FAPES). JMS thanks the EnFlo team, University of Surrey, for providing the wind-tunnel data through https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5297245.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo, Vitória, 29075-910, Brazil

    J. M. Santos, N. C. Reis Jr. & E. V. Goulart

  2. Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK

    I. P. Castro & Z. T. Xie

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  1. J. M. Santos
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  2. N. C. Reis Jr.
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  3. I. P. Castro
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  4. E. V. Goulart
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  5. Z. T. Xie
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Correspondence to J. M. Santos.

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Santos, J.M., Reis, N.C., Castro, I.P. et al. Using Large-Eddy Simulation and Wind-Tunnel Data to Investigate Peak-to-Mean Concentration Ratios in an Urban Environment. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 172, 333–350 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10546-019-00448-1

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