Air Quality - Project H006B.2002
Air Quality Research
Project H006B.2002
Title:Top-down Emissions Verification for the Houston-Galveston Industrial Point Sources based on TexaAQS Data
Project Period:11/01/2002 - 03/31/2004
Total Budget:$131,704
Sub-Contractors:University of Alabama at Huntsville - Noor Gillani ($131,704)

The Houston-Galveston area has an unusual high contribution of VOC and NOx emissions from major industrial point sources. Aircraft data of the 2000 Texas Air Quality Study have indicated that emissions of reactive VOCs (particularly ethene and propene) are several orders of magnitude higher than the emission inventory. This project uses a dual diagnostic photochemical modeling approach to estimate the emissions based on top-down methods: 1- LES-with-Chem in the near field for evaluating mixing and reactions of species close to the source points and therefore direct verification of the primary emissions (NOx, speciated VOC) by model-data comparisons, and iterative simulations; and 2- LRPM for further field verification of the emissions based on testing the corresponding secondary formations (O3, HCHO, PAN, HNO3, etc.). The LES and LRPM studies are aimed at both the isolated plumes from the smaller isolated complexes, and the interacting multi-plumes from the ship channel complex.

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