Investigation of a 1000-MW smoke plume by means of a 1.064 μm lidar—II. Determination of diffusion characteristics of the plume particles

Abstract

A mobile 1.064-μm monostatic lidar was used to study the carbon aerosol particles from a 1000-MW oil-burning system. After part I, describing the lidar calibration procedure from airborne measurements and lidar vertical shots on the ambient aerosol, this paper presents the determination of the field of C particle concentrations in order to study the plume characteristics, such as particle concentration, plume trajectography and dispersion parameters … The method proposed allows the retrieval of particle concentrations in amounts comparable with those measured by direct instrumentation and the verification of the classical diffusion laws as established by, for example, Briggs, in nearly neutral meteorological conditions. In particular, for maximum concentration zone as revealed by the automatic scanning procedure of the lidar system, the plume height Z is related to the ambient wind speed U and the horizontal distance X from the source by the expression Z = C 1 F 1 3 0 U ̄ −1X 1 3 . Finally, the high particle concentration zone, localized upwind, is revealed as the most active one both dynamically and thermodynamically, where more than 80% of the vertical transfer fluxes are accomplished.