Measurement and Prediction of Particulate Concentration Within External and Internal Flows

Abstract

The focus of this report is the formation, growth, and transport of airborne particulate clouds within the boundary layer atmosphere as well as the interaction of such clouds with the terrain surface and objects (e.g., ships and buildings) on the earth's surface. The methodology outlined in the report can be used to answer the simple question, 'What happens to particulate clouds once they are formed?' The specific particulate subjected to detailed analysis was a millimeter-wave (mmw) obscurant. A novel concentration measurement device (a type of interferometer) applicable to this class of obscurants was used to collect data during a dissemination field test. The experimental data compared favorably to external flow predictions resulting from the Transport, Diffusion, and Radiance (TDR) computer code, interim version 3.2. TDR is based on Gaussian statistics with high fidelity physical assumptions governing the behavior of puffs and plumes. Predictions were also made of internal room contamination caused by the ingestion of a particulate cloud by a notional, ventilated building. This analysis employed the Ship Chemical Warfare Vulnerability Ventilation Model (VENM). Time-dependent concentration, exposure, and deposition histories were calculated and graphically rendered for the mmw obscurant cloud. Parameters that significantly impact the TDR predictions for these quantities were varied as part of a sensitivity analysis. Limitations in particulate concentration measurement accuracy are discussed in an overall sense and are related to predictions resulting from both Gaussian and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. Suggestions are provided as to when Gaussian and when CFD modeling approaches are warranted.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1997
Accession Number
ADA418455

Entities

People

  • Lisle H. Russell
  • Philip M. Bushong
  • Robert E. Richardson

Organizations

  • Naval Surface Warfare Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Boundary Layer
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Detectors
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Reliability
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Test Equipment
  • Test Facilities
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation

Technology Areas

  • 5G