Modeling atmospheric gas dispersion using computational fluid dynamics

Although rare, industrial facilities can suffer from minor to catastrophic failures, commonly referred to as loss of primary containment (LOPC), which can result in the release of hazardous gases and/or liquids. In order to protect the safety of the public, companies must provide a means of mitigating the potential damage to people and the environment. Since these measures are determined beforehand, the ability to develop and produce accurate modeling techniques is of the utmost importance.
The modeling of gas dispersion in the atmosphere following industrial releases (industrial stacks, containment breaches, etc.) relies on the ability to simulate accurate atmospheric flow close to the Earths surface. These flows are generally divided into three stability classes. Although neutral stability is well understood and applies to a number of real world scenarios, accurate prediction of dispersion under stable and unstable atmospheric flow would expand upon the current number of applicable cases. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Jan Haelssig

Student:

Devin O'Malley

Partner:

Stantec Consulting Ltd.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Natural resources

University:

Program: