Strategy of AERMOD Configuration for Transportation Conformity Hot-Spot Analyses

The modeling process using AERMOD for transportation conformity analyses has a high potential for analysis error. Two of the key challenges encountered in AERMOD is choosing between AREA and VOLUME sources for modeling roadway line segments and choosing the appropriate placement of receptors. The objective of this paper is to examine the differences between VOLUME and AREA source and contrast the low-resolution receptor placement with high-resolution receptor placement. The mechanism of exclusion zones in VOLUME source is analyzed and a method for avoiding the negative effects of exclusion zones is provided. The results indicate that it is easy to create analysis errors using the VOLUME source and this is largely due to the effects of the exclusion zones. The authors also find that higher densities of better capture the characteristics of concentrations, especially at the locations near the emission source.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Wu, Yizheng
  • 0000-0002-6617-1182
  • Niemeier, Debbie
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2016-1-10 to 2016-1-14
• Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 19p
• Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality management; Analysis; Area; Computer models; Conformity; Data collection; Particulates; Pollutants; Volume
• Identifier Terms: AERMOD (Computer model)
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01589740
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-2350
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 3 2016 10:09AM