Numerical prediction of the distribution of black carbon in a street canyon using a semi-Lagrangian finite element formulation

Abstract

We present a procedure for coupling the fluid and transport equations to model the distribution of a pollutant in a street canyon, in this case, black carbon (BC). The fluid flow is calculated with a stabilized finite element method using the Quasi-Static Variational Multiscale (QS-VMS) technique. For the temperature and pollutant transport we use a semi-Lagrangian procedure, based on the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) combined with an Eulerian method based on a Finite Increment Calculus (FIC) formulation. Both methods are implemented on the open-source KRATOS Multiphysics platform. The coupled numerical formulation is applied to the prediction of the transport of BC in a street canyon, which can be a useful tool to lessen the impact of pollutants on pedestrians. Two test cases have been studied: a 2D simplified case and a more complex 3D one. The main goal of this study is to propose a useful tool to study the effect of pollution on pedestrians in a street-level scale. Good comparison with experimental results is obtained.