A Lagrangian stochastic model for predicting concentration fluctuations in urban areas

Abstract

A combined Lagrangian stochastic model with a micromixing sub-model is used to estimate the fluctuating concentrations observed in two wind tunnel experiments. The Lagrangian stochastic model allows fluid trajectories to be simulated in the inhomogeneous flow, while the mixing model accounts for the dissipation of fluctuations using the interaction by exchange with the mean (IEM) mechanism. The model is first tested against the open terrain, wind tunnel data of Fackrell, J.E. and Robins, A.E. [1982. Concentration fluctuations and fluxes in plumes from point sources in a turbulent boundary layer. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 117, 1–26] and shows good agreement with the observed mean concentrations and fluctuation intensities. The model is then compared with the wind tunnel simulation of a two-dimensional street canyon by Pavageau, M. and Schatzmann, M. [1999. Wind tunnel measurements of concentration fluctuations in an urban street canyon. Atmospheric Environment 33, 3961–3971]. Despite the limitations of the k–ε turbulence scheme and the IEM mixing mechanism, the model reproduces the fluctuation intensity pattern within the canyon well. Overall, the comparison with both sets of wind tunnel experiments are encouraging, and the simplicity of the model means that predictions in a complex, three-dimensional geometry can be produced in a practicable amount of time.