Title: Simulating large emitters using CMAQ and a local scale finite element model. Analysis of the surroundings of Barcelona

Authors: Albert Oliver; Raúl Arasa; Agustí Pérez-Foguet; Mª Ángeles González

Addresses: University Institute for Intelligent Systems and Numerical Applications in Engineering (SIANI), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Campus de Tafira, 35017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain ' Technical Department, Meteosim S.L., Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028, Barcelona, Spain ' Barcelona School of Civil Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University Research Institute for Sustainability Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC), Jordi Girona 1-3, 08034 Barcelona, Spain ' Technical Department, Meteosim S.L., Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract: In this work, we present a novel approach to simulate large emitters in the microscale. The main idea is to combine a nested grid approach and a finite element model to simulate the subgrid scale. The nested grid system consists of the mesoscale meteorological model WRF-ARW, the Air Emission Model of Meteosim (AEMM), and the air quality model CMAQ. The subgrid scale is simulated using an adaptive, Eulerian, non-steady finite element model. The results from the nested grid simulation are used as initial and boundary conditions in the subgrid model, making this approach one-way. A simulation has been carried out in the surroundings of Barcelona, where an important contributor to the sulphur dioxide levels is considered. The simulations were carried out for one episode with high levels of sulphur dioxide. The time period of the simulation was 48 hours with a 24-hour spin-up.

Keywords: air quality modelling; subgrid scale plume modelling; nested grid modelling; plume-in-grid; microscale; plume rise; weather research and forecasting model; Air Emission Model of Meteosim; community multi-scale air quality; finite element method.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2017.089404

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2017 Vol.62 No.2/3/4, pp.155 - 183

Received: 22 Aug 2016
Accepted: 24 Jan 2017
Published online: 23 Jan 2018 *

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