Harry Moses

The Validity of Several Plume Rise Formulas

The ground level concentration of pollutants downwind of a tall chimney decreases as the effective height of the stack increases. The effective height of the stack is the actual height plus the rise of the plume center-line due to momentum and buoyancy of the effluent. Over twenty formulas to predict plume rise from stack and meteorological parameters have been proposed; none is uniformly accepted. In this paper, 711 plume rise observations were used to test the ability of fifteen of the published and commonly used formulas to predict plume rise. The plume rise data were obtained from single stacks whose heat emission rate varied over four orders of magnitude. None of the formulas tested was found to be significantly better than the others. Research was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Stack Design Parameters Influencing Plume Rise

This paper presents techniques for determining the mean plume rise of a given stack primarily for design purposes. Equations presented are not intended to provide a means for forecasting day-to-day variations in plume rise for a given stack. The investigation is based on plume rise data obtained from stacks ranging in size from the relatively small (such as the Argonne Meteorology Stack) to very large (such as those of the Tennessee Valley Authority). Measurements for England and Germany are also included. Plume rises range over three orders of magnitude and heat emission rates over four. Making use of stack parameters (effluent velocity [Vs], stack diameter [d], heat emission rate [Qt,]) and meteorological factors (wind speed [U] and atmospheric stability), an empirical formula was derived for predicting plume rise (Ah) by regression techniques. Work performed under the auspices of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Errors in Wind Measurements Associated with Tower-Mounted Anemometers

Towers distort the wind flow and thereby may produce errors in wind speed and direction measurements obtained by anemometers mounted on them. To study this effect, a comparison was made of 5000 hou...

A Comparison of Observed Plume Rises with Values Obtained from Well-Known Formulas

The height to which a stack effluent will rise in the atmosphere is of importance in calculating the resulting concentrations at ground level. Six formulas are compared with experimental stack data in order to test their validity. The formulas are those of: Holland; Davidson and Bryant; Sutton; Scorer; Carey, Bosanquet, and Halton; and an additional one by Bosanquet. There is no one formula which is outstanding in all respects. The nature of the problem influences the selection of the formula. The formulas of Sutton and Bosanquet are not recommended.

PLUME RISE DETERMINATION: A NEW TECHNIQUE WITHOUT EQUATIONS.

Information on plume rise is important in determining the resulting concentrations of a pollutant on the ground. Practical use of plume rise values may be made in connection with stack design, the use of urban air pollution models, and in evaluating the hazards to a population complex. This paper presents a new equationless technique for estimating plume rise as well as a comparison of seventeen commonly used plume rise formulas. Data from 10 sets of experiments, involving 615 observations and 26 different stacks, were used to study the relation between plume rise and related meteorological and stack parameters. An independent data set was used to test the derived methods for determining plume rise. These data were obtained by Bringfelt of Sweden and contained measurements from stacks smaller than that at the Argonne National Laboratory to those approaching the TVA stacks. A significant improvement in the prediction of plume rise from meteorological and stack parameters resulted from the use of a new tech...

coastal meteorological networks to determine effects of nuclear plant cooling systems3

Twenty-five meteorological stations are in operation inland from two nuclear power plants located on the Lake Michigan shoreline in southwestern lower Michigan. Their purpose is to provide data to enable meteorological effects of mechanical-draft cooling towers at the Palisades Nuclear Plant and a once-through cooling system at the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant to be evaluated. Temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation are measured at all stations, total solar radiation and wind velocity at four, and visibility at three. The stations, equipment, and calibration methods are described, and examples of types of meteorological analyses are presented.

Ecological Dosimetry: Radiation Levels Influenced by Plant Growth

The feasibility of using lithium-7-fluoride thermoluminescent dosimeters under field conditions for natural radiation at levels of 5 milliroentgens is demonstrated. Radiation dosages in tree trunks increased threefold from winter to spring and summer. This increase is attributed to the gamma radiation field resulting from relatively high levels of potassium-40 and other radionuclides present in the foliage and branches during the growing season.