HIGHWAY AIR POLLUTION DISPERSION MODELING: PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THIRTEEN MODELS

Thirteen highway air pollution dispersion models have been tested, using a portion of the Airedale air quality data base. The Transportation Air Pollution Studies (TAPS) System, a data base management system specifically designed for evaluating dispersion models, has been used in the testing process. Because of inadequacies in the Airedale data, it proved necessary to abandon the original plan to test the accuracy of model predictions, and instead to adopt the approach of treating the data as a synthetic data sample for use in determining how closely the model predictions agree with one another. Five models (three Gaussian and two Conservation of Mass) emerged as Consensus Models. However, the limited range of the data elements in this sample causes this finding to be preliminary. Further experiments with synthetic data are planned to extend the range of applicability of these initial results, pending the availability of highway air quality data suitable for model validation.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Department of Transportation

  Office of Systems Engineering, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Darling, EMJ
  • Prerau, D S
  • Downey, P J
  • Mengert, P H
• Publication Date: 1977-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 254 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Cluster analysis; Computer programming; Databases; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Forecasting; Highways; Mass; Mathematical models; Plumes; Statistical sampling
• Uncontrolled Terms: Clustering; Data sampling
• Old TRIS Terms: Dispersion; Gaussian plume model
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167065
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-OST-77-33 Final Rpt.
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Oct 29 1978 12:00AM