Laboratory simulation of plume rise from multiple sources

A series of simulations in water channel is presented and discussed. Its principal aim was the evaluation of the interactions of multiple plumes emitted by stacks close to each other and with different heights and buoyancy parameters. Single and multiple emissions have been studied, in near-neutral or unstable conditions. Single emissions have been compared with Moore's and Briggs' models, while multiple ones have been compared with the model of Anfossiet al. The agreement in both cases was satisfactory. Trends of horizontal and vertical dispersion coefficients as functions of the downwind distance have then been studied, both for single and multiple plumes. At last, the simulation has taken into account the influence of the angle between the direction of the wind and the row of stacks. It has been verified that even in the most critical case (perpendicularity) a definite enhancement of the merged plume with respect to single rises was present.