Air pollutants emission and dispersion calculator
Assumptions
The calculator is designed to provide a simple illustration of the impact of a single chimney on air quality conditions in its immediate surroundings. The result presented is the distribution of concentrations of selected air pollutants within a 0.5-kilometer radius from the chimney. It depends on the type of heating system, the fuel used, the characteristics of the heated building or apartment, as well as weather conditions and wind direction
How does it work?
- Indicate the location of the chimney (select the point on the map)
- Choose the parameters of the heating system and the heated building/apartment; define the characteristics of its surroundings
- Specify the type of weather and wind direction.
- Run the simulation
- Analyze the results for different pollutants
Parameters to choose:
- Heating System – allows you to select the type of heating used in the building/apartment. The available options are:
- Fireplace
- Kitchen stove
- Tiled stove
- Non-compliant boiler ("smoker")
- Eco-design compliant boiler
- Eco-design compliant fireplace
- Gas boiler
- Oil boiler
- Fuel Type – each of the selected heating systems is assigned appropriate types of fuel that can be used in it. For example, for a tiled stove, two fuel types can be selected: coal and wood.
- Type of House/Apartment – here you specify where your heating system is located: whether in a detached house, a tenement building, or an apartment block. The selection of this parameter determines, among other things, the predefined heating area and the building's susceptibility to cooling (an apartment in a tenement building/block will cool down differently than a detached house).
- Number of Floors – this parameter allows you to roughly determine the height at which the chimney exit is located. It is an important parameter for pollutant dispersion (the higher the chimney, the more the pollutants can disperse before reaching the ground).
- Age of the Building – determines the building’s energy standard, i.e., its energy consumption and resistance to cooling. (The older the building, the higher its energy consumption and lower resistance to energy loss). There are three options: before 1980 (this also includes pre-war buildings), i.e., buildings constructed according to old standards that do not provide sufficient insulation for walls, ceilings, windows, doors, etc.; 1980-2000 – buildings constructed according to standards of that period, which were slightly more restrictive; after 2000 – buildings constructed according to current standards.
- Thermal Modernization – four options are available: none, minimal (e.g., only window and door replacement), partial (window and door replacement, external wall insulation), and full (window and door replacement, external wall insulation, roof or ceiling insulation). Naturally, the higher the degree of thermal modernization, the lower the energy losses, fuel consumption, and emissions.
- Type of Development – here, among four options, you specify the type of neighborhood surrounding your building: whether it is in the center of a large city among other high-rise buildings, in a more peripheral area with lower buildings, in a neighborhood of detached houses, or in a completely remote area. This parameter is important because the type of surrounding area affects the dispersion of pollutants.
- Meteorological Conditions – here, you specify the time of year and the type of weather for which you want to run the simulation. Defining this parameter is important because meteorological conditions related to weather type and season (e.g., air temperature, wind speed, etc.) affect the emission of pollutants (the colder it is, the higher the demand for heat and consequently, the emission) and their dispersion or accumulation near the source.
- Wind Direction – determines the direction of pollutant movement from the chimney. This is given on an 8-point scale: N for north, NE for northeast, E for east, SE for southeast, S for south, SW for southwest, W for west, NW for northwest.
Results:
The results are presented in the form of a map that shows the spatial distribution of pollutant concentrations reaching the ground from the chimney. The displayed values are daily averages – they show the average concentration that may be reached during a given weather type and wind direction while the selected heating system operates for 24 hours.
The results take into account the variation in heat demand at different times of the day, depending on changing meteorological parameters and the activity of the residents.
The displayed results show concentrations of selected pollutants, and you can change the view of the corresponding pollutant using the menu in the lower-left or upper-right corner of the screen.
Additionally, our calculator remembers the results of previous calculations, allowing you to compare the scale of emissions under different parameter settings (e.g., compare the effect of different fuels, the effect of introducing thermal modernization, etc.). You can view the appropriate results using the selection window in the lower-left corner of the page.
