Numerical simulation model for predicting air quality along urban main roads : First report, development of atmospheric diffusion model

A simulation model for predicting air quality along urban main roads is being studied. The objective of the model is to predict the effects on air quality of various road-related parameters such as configurations of roads and surrounding buildings as well as traffic flow, chemical reactions, and other related phenomena. In this paper, the development of an atmospheric diffusion model, which will be the platform of the whole simulation model, is reported. A new concentration diffusion coefficient model is proposed, in which the effect of vehicle wind is taken into account. By comparing with field experiments in which the diffusing tracer gas concentration was measured in a real street canyon, the validity of the simulation model is verified. Also, the new diffusion coefficient model is found to be capable of improving predictive accuracy of air quality around a street canyon.