Pollutant source identification in a city district by means of a street network inverse model

Nabil Ben Salem (1) , Lionel Soulhac (1) , Pietro Salizzoni (1) , Massimo Marro (1)

1 LMFA - Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique

This study presents the performances of an inverse modelling approach aiming to identify position and emission rate of a localised pollutant source placed within a city district. To that purpose we combine wind tunnel experiments and an urban dispersion model. Experiments are performed in an idealised urban canopy, made up of regularly spaced blocks, and provide the pollutant concentration field downwind from the source within the canopy. The urban dispersion model, named SIRANE, is an operational model that simulates the main mechanisms governing the pollutant transfer within a network of streets.

Mots clés: inverse modelling; source identification; street network models; urban air pollution; air quality; city districts; atmospheric dispersion modelling; urban canopy; simulation; pollutant transfer

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]; Physique Atmosphérique et Océanique [physics.ao-ph]; Ingénierie de l'environnement

Nabil Ben Salem, Lionel Soulhac, Pietro Salizzoni, Massimo Marro. Pollutant source identification in a city district by means of a street network inverse model. International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2014, 55 (1-2-3-4), pp.50-57. ⟨10.1504/IJEP.2014.065904⟩. ⟨hal-01296878⟩