May 2014

CBB 4213
Air Pollution Engineering
Class Examples

Chapter 6: Fixed Box Model

1. A city has a dimension of 5 km in width and 15 km in length. Wind blows

downwind at an average velocity of 3 m/s bringing in air pollutant, carbon
monoxide (CO) into the city. The mixing height of CO is determined at 1000 m,
while the emission rate per unit area is 4 g/m2s. If the upwind concentration of
CO is 5 g/m3, what is the concentration of CO in the city?

2. A receptor located further downwind of a city recorded a value of nitrogen

dioxide (NO2) emitted at 50 g/m3. The upwind concentration of NO is identified
to be 15 g/m3. If the point of detection has a distance of 6 km from upwind,
determine the rate of NO emitted by the city. The mixing height can be taken as
1.5 km, at a wind speed of 12 km/hr.

3. An industrial town is 5 km wide, W, and 30 km long, L. It is located close to a

beach and subjected to the wind velocity, u, of 4 m/s. The wind is blowing along
the length of the town and has a mixing height, H, of 1.0 km. The town is
subjected to the background (upwind) concentration of sulfur dioxide, b, of
7 g/m3. The emission rate of the SO2 per unit area, q, is
4.5 x 10-6 g/m2.s. Using the fixed box model, determine SO2 concentration
leaving the town. If there is wind blowing from the beach at right angles to the
direction at velocity 6 m/s and the same mixing height, determine the new
concentration of sulfur dioxide leaving the town. Assume this is equivalent to
60% of wind.

4. An industrial free trade zone located close to a port consists of three series strips
of towns X, Y and Z, respectively, with 30 km wide, W, and 60 km long, L. For all
the towns, the wind velocity, u is equal to 5 m/s. For town X, it is subjected to the
background (upwind) concentration of carbon monoxide, b, of 5 g/m3.
TABLE Q4 shows all the properties for each town. Assuming the fixed box model
applies, determine the concentration of carbon monoxide entering the town Y
and leaving town Z.

TABLE Q4: Properties of towns.

Town Length, km Emission rate, Mixing height,
q (g/m2.s ) H (m)
X 10 5 400
Y 20 7 500
Z 30 3 600

1
 May 2014
5. The city may be considered to consist of three series strips, located perpendicular
to the wind. For all the strips the wind velocity equals 3 m/s, with the properties
of each of the strips is described TABLE Q5. If the concentration of nitrogen
monoxide detected at a receptor located at the end of strip 3 is 5 mg/m3, what
would be the initial upwind concentration?

TABLE Q5: Properties of towns.

Name of Length, km Emission rate, Mixing height,
strip q (g/km2. s) H (m)
1 5 100 400
2 2 500 500
3 2 100 400