Developing a new model for simulation of pollution dispersion from a network of stacks E. Fatehifar a, * , A. Elkamel b , A. Alizadeh Osalu a , A. Charchi a a Environmental Engineering Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, P.O. Box 51335-1995, Tabriz, Iran b Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada article info Keywords: Pollution dispersion Multiple cell model Network of stacks abstract Modeling of air pollution dispersion is the key step in design and environmental control of industrial stacks. In the current study, authors previous model (multiple cell model for pol- lutants dispersion from a network of industrial stacks) was completed. In new and compre- hensive model, location of stacks and wind blowing angle are variable. Model uses graphical user interface (GUI) and is applicable for network of refinery stacks, petrochem- ical complexes, urban and industrial stacks. Also, the effect of some parameters on the pol- lution dispersion was investigated. These parameters include wind blowing angle, location of stacks, ambient air temperature and wind speed. Ó 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction There are many models and software for modeling of pollutants dispersion. Example of these models are industrial source complex dispersion model – short term version 3 (ISCST3) or the latest version developed by US Environmental Protection Agency, California line source dispersion model version 4 (CALINE4) or the latest version developed by Department of Trans- portation, State of California, USA, Mobile 5, Screen 3, fugitive dust model (FDM) or the latest version developed by US Envi- ronmental Protection Agency. Most of these models like industrial source complex (ISC) and Screen 3 use Gaussian plume dispersion model. Simulation of single industrial stacks using a Gaussian model has been illustrated in some Refs. [2–4]. The simulation of multiple stacks has been done using a Gaussian model [5]. However, there has been no work that has been undertaken on simulation of such stacks with the multiple cell approach. For instance, Abdul-Wahab [6] used the ISC model to predict SO 2 dispersion from Mina Al-Fahal refinery stacks in Oman. In this paper, our previous model [1] was developed taking into account the variable location of source and the wind blowing angle. For this purpose, MATLAB program was developed for simulation of the dispersion of pollutants from a net- work of industrial stacks. In this case, it is possible to use this model for modeling of pollutants from any industrial complex like refinery and petrochemicals. The program was then modified in order to incorporate the simulation of pollutants dispersion from a network of refinery stacks in actual scale. The effects of wind velocity and wind blowing angle on pollutants dispersion were also discussed. The program was designed to be easy to use and computationally efficient. It requires stacks data, positions and meteorological parameters, and presents the results in a visual format using both two and three dimensional plots. Model uses graphical user interface (GUI) and is applicable for network of refinery stacks, petrochemical complexes, urban and industrial stacks. 0096-3003/$ - see front matter Ó 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.amc.2008.05.120 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: fatehifar@sut.ac.ir (E. Fatehifar). Applied Mathematics and Computation 206 (2008) 662–668 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Applied Mathematics and Computation journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/amc