Title: Evaluation of turbulence from traffic using experimental data obtained in a street canyon

Authors: Nicolas A. Mazzeo, Laura E. Venegas

Addresses: National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET), Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina. ' National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET), Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellon 2, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract: The present study analyses the influence of traffic-produced turbulence (TPT) on CO concentration using full-scale measurements obtained in Gottinger Strasse (Hannover, Germany). Cases with airflow within ±11.25° from the direction perpendicular to the street axis were used. The values C = Ci–Cb (Ci is concentration measured inside the street canyon and Cb is the background concentration) were plotted against ambient wind speed (U) for different traffic volumes. For windward conditions, the data verified the form C ∝ U-m and for leeward situations, C ∝ (aU²+bV²)-1/2 (a is a function of street geometry, b depends on the characteristics of the vehicles and traffic density, V is the average vehicle speed). We obtained empirical expressions for b, for C/C0 (C0 is the concentration |without| the influence of the TPT) and for a critical wind speed (UC) (which does aUC² = bV²). The ratio C/C0 is 0.71 when U=UC, not depending on the traffic flow.

Keywords: urban street canyons; traffic pollution; carbon monoxide concentration; traffic-produced turbulence; pollutant dispersion; urban air quality; dispersion modelling; air pollution; vehicle emissions; road transport emissions.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2005.007664

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2005 Vol.25 No.1/2/3/4, pp.164 - 176

Published online: 31 Aug 2005 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article