4.

12 STACK AND PLUME*

The dispersion of emitted gases from the source of their production is
nown as plume and the source is
known as stack.
The diffusion or
dispersion
of pollutants into the
atmosphere is
governed by the Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR) as well as Adiabatic
Lapse rate (ALR), i.e., atmospheric temperature profile or atmospheric
stability.
On the basis of ELR and ALR the nature of plume can be of different
types.

Coning Plume
It iscalculated that when horizontal wind velocity exceeds 32km/hour
and under the condition of cloud blocking solar radiations at day time
andterrestrialradiation at night. neutral plumetends to form conelike
structure known as coning plume.
Under sub-adiabaticconditions (ELR <ALR), when there is limited
vertical mixing and environment is slightly stable, the plume also attains
cone like structure and is coning plume. Such plumes are not, howeve,
suitable for dispersion of pollutants.

ELR
ALR

ELR

Temperature>

Fig. 4.14. Coning plume

 Air Pollution and Control
186

Fanning Plume lapse rate) f

inversion condition
(dueto negative
environm
Under extreme condition
stable
of i n v e r s i o n , onmenta
obtained. Under does not move upwa
plumeis
above the stack and plume pwardly
condition existsjust
but horizontally.

Inversion Layer

ELR ALR

Temperature >

Fig. 4.15. Fanning plume

Looping Plume

Looping plume is of wavy in super adiabatic

character and occurs

environment(ELR>ALR), which produces highly unstable atmosphere

because of rapid
mixing.
In an unstable
atmosphere, rapid
air movements
take place ALR
vertically, both ELR

upward and
downward and the Temperature>
plume becomes a Fig. 4.16: Looping plume
looping plume. As a result
of this, high concentrations of pollutans may
occur near the ground. To disperse these pollutants, it is adviSaDi
design high stack where atmosphere is
generally super adiabati
Neutral Plume
Neutral plume occurs in neutral
Such type of plume rises atmospheric conditions (ELR= LR)
vertically in an
lifting of the plume will continue till it upward direction. The upei
pward

density
reaches a
and temperature of
surrounding air are equal to it.height where
 and Control
dir Pollution
187

i ELR ALR

Temperature >
Fig. 4.17. Neutral plume

Lofting Plume
Under conditions of strong super adiabatic lapse rate just above the
stack and negative lapse rate (inversion) just below the opening of stack,
loftingplume is obtained. The upward mixing of plume is very rapid and
turbulent, but downward mixing is less because the downward movement
is prevented by inversion.
The dispersion of pollutants therefore becomes rapid and pollutants
cannot come down to the ground. Such kind of a plume is ideal for
dispersion of air pollutants and protection of living beings to a great
extent.

ALR

Inversion Layer
ELR ALR

Temperature >

Fig. 4.18. Lofting plume

Fumigating Plume
Umigating plume is just opposite to loftingplume,
Under conditions of
stack and strong super
gative lapse rate (inversion) just above the obtained is known
dbatic lapse rate below the stack, thetype of plume
 Air Pollution and
Control
188
the polhutans
Under these set of conditions, ants can
as fumigating plume. come down near the
the stack, rather they ground
not escape above
Fumigating plume, efore extend
is therefore extremely
and mixing.
due to turbulence
bad for dispersion ofpollutants.

Inversion Layer

ELR ALR

Temperature>

Fig. 4.19. Fumigating plume

Trapping Plume
When the inversion layer exists above
the stack and as below
as well
rather, it gets confined
the stack, the plume neither goes up nor goes down,Such
between these two inversion layers. type of plume is
or trapped
This plume is not ideal for dispersion
therefore, termed as trapping plume.
of pollutants as it cannot go above a certain height.
on the
It is be noted that plume rise depends not only
however, to
of
of atmosphere, but also on the buoyancy and momentum
stability
exhaust gases. Momentum depends on mass and velocity of the gases
the exhaust
leaving the stack and buoyancy on the molecular weight of
gases and its temperature compared to the ambient air.

Inversion Layer (above stack)

ELR
- - - - - - .

ALR Inversion Layer (below stack)

Temperature >

Fig. 4.20. Trapping plume

 Pollution
and Control
4ir
189
4.12.1 Effective Stack Height

Ah
H emitted smoke
h
Stack (chimney)

Fig. 4.21. Effective stack height for plume dispersion.

The effective stack height (H) is the height of the stack (h) plus the
height (Ah) to which the plume rises above the stack.
Hence,
H h+ Ah
where, h = height of stack and Ah = plume height.

For stable atmospheric condition, the plume rise cquation as suggested

by Briggs in 1972 can be used. According to it
1/3
F
Ah 2.6
S

(s-2) S +0.01°C/m.
where, S is the stability parameter, S
=

with altitude
Cre, AT is the rate of change of ambient temperature
AZ
in °C/m.
(m*/ s*) and is given by
is the buoyancy flux parameter

F grv

where.
Ah= plum rise
acceleration, 9.8 m/s2.
gravitational
&
i n s i d e radius ofthe stack
 Air Pollution and
Control
190
the stack, m/s
speed at the height of
uwind
m/s
Stack gas emit velocity,
temperature,
K
Tstackgas
T=Ambient temperature, K

momentum and buoyancy. Buoyancy facttor

Plume rise depends on
difference of stack gases and surrounding ai. air
the temperature
is due weight of the exhaust gase
to

and the momentum due to the molecular

against air.
condition, the equation is somewhat
For unstable atmospheric
discussed here.
complicated and is not
or plume rise (Ah) is calculated
In a simplified way the plume height
using the following equation:

Ah= [1.5x 2.7x10 x P.d(1-

U T,
where,
Ah=plume height
stack gas velocity
d inside diameter of stack
u =
atmospheric wind speed
P atmospheric pressure
T stack gas temperature

T atmospheric air temperature