An alternative formulation for the dispersion parameters in a convective boundary layer is presented. The development consists of a simple algebraic relation for the dispersion parameters, originated from the fitting of experimental data, in which the turbulent velocity variances and the Lagrangian decorrelation time scales are derived from the turbulent kinetic energy convective spectra. Assuming homogeneous turbulence for elevated regions in an unstable planetary boundary layer (PBL), the present approach, which provides the dispersion parameters, has been compared to the observational data as well as to results obtained by classical complex integral formulations. From this comparison yields that the vertical and lateral dispersion parameters obtained from the simple algebraic formulas reproduce, in an adequate manner, the spread of contaminants released by elevated continuous source in an unstable PBL. Therefore, the agreement with dispersion parameters available by an integral formulation indicates that the hypothesis of using an algebraic formulation as a surrogate for dispersion parameters in the turbulent convective boundary layer is valid. In addition, the algebraic vertical and lateral dispersion parameters were introduced into an air pollution Gaussian diffusion model and validated with the concentration data of Copenhagen experiments. The results of such Gaussian model, incorporating the algebraic dispersion parameters, are shown to agree with the measurements of Copenhagen.
TURBULENT PARAMETERIZATIONS FOR A OPERATIVE AIR POLLUTION MODEL IN A CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY LAYER
