Urban Transportation and Air Pollution

Description

Urban Transportation and Air Pollution synthesizes state-of-the-art methods on estimating near-road concentrations of roadway emissions. The book provides the information needed to make estimates using methods based on a minimal set of model inputs that can be applied by a wide range of users in many situations. Discussions include methods to estimate traffic emission under numerous urban driving conditions, the uncertainty of emission models, and the effects of road configurations, such as near-road solid barriers. Final sections present dispersion models that link traffic emissions with near road concentrations in urban environments. Addressing transportation-related environmental issues is extremely important as urban areas are constantly searching for ways to mitigate impacts from transportation sources. This book helps to explain dispersion models, a critical tool for estimating the impact of roadway emissions in cities. Cover Urban Transportation and Air Pollution Copyright Preface References One Introduction Scope of the Book Models Treated in this Book Modeling Emissions for Transport Applications Organization of this Book References Two Fundamental Concepts Expressing Concentrations The Composition of Air Hydrostatic Equilibrium The Potential Temperature Atmospheric Stability The Origin of Large-Scale Winds The Pressure Gradient Force The Coriolis Force The Geostrophic Wind High- and Low-Pressure Centers Effects of Friction Fronts Three Fundamentals of Micrometeorology and Dispersion Introduction Surface Energy Balance—Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Convective Velocity Scale Friction Velocity Monin–Obukhov Length Surface Layer Similarity The Daytime Boundary Layer Height of the Convective Boundary Layer The Nighttime Boundary Layer Turbulent Velocities in the Stable Boundary Layer Dispersion Modeling—Ground-Level Source The Point Source in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Dispersion in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Plume Spread Formulation Used in Current Models The Unstable Surface Boundary Layer The Stable Surface Boundary Layer Horizontal Spread in the Surface Boundary Layer Concluding Remarks References Further Reading Four The Impact of Highways on Urban Air Quality Introduction Line Source Dispersion Model Modeling a Highway Comparison of Highway Models with Observations Models for the Impacts of Barriers Effects of Solid Barriers Model for Downwind Barrier Model for Upwind Barrier Dispersion from Depressed Roadways Model for Depressed Roads Effects of Vegetation Barriers Model for a Solid-Vegetation Barrier Summary References Further Reading Five The Impact of Buildings on Urban Air Quality Introduction Primary Effects of Buildings on Dispersion of Traffic Emissions The Impact of Buildings on Mean Winds and Turbulence Within the Urban Canopy Vortex Flow and Street Canyons Challenges for Practical Application of Models of Building Effects on Dispersion Primary Variables Governing Dispersion in Cities Models for the Effects of Buildings Operational Street Pollution Model Vertical Dispersion Model Comparison of Model with Observations Description of the Los Angeles Field Measurements Evaluation of the VDM with Data Collected in Los Angeles and Riverside Summary References Further Reading Six Modeling Dispersion at City Scale Introduction Dispersion Models for Near-Road Air Quality Integrating Dispersion Models into a Modeling System Meteorological Inputs-Internal Boundary Layer Model References Appendix A Dispersion From an Elevated Point Source Modeling a Point Source Horizontal Plume Spread of Elevated Releases Vertical Plume Spread Formulations Plume Spreads Induced by Source Effects and Plume Rise Plume Rise Plume Rise Equations Building Downwash Terrain Treatment The Weighting Factor, f References Index Back Cover