Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities
In biogas plants, where biological treatment of organic matter by anaerobic digestion (AD) is performed, as well as in plants for upgrading of biogas to biomethane, there might be emissions to air from different parts of the plants. Precise and comparable methods to quantify methane (CH4) emissions...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2021-12-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Environment: X |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590162121000319 |
| _version_ | 1818736629405188096 |
|---|---|
| author | Marlies Hrad Angela Vesenmaier Claudia Flandorfer Martin Piringer Sirma Stenzel Marion Huber-Humer |
| author_facet | Marlies Hrad Angela Vesenmaier Claudia Flandorfer Martin Piringer Sirma Stenzel Marion Huber-Humer |
| author_sort | Marlies Hrad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In biogas plants, where biological treatment of organic matter by anaerobic digestion (AD) is performed, as well as in plants for upgrading of biogas to biomethane, there might be emissions to air from different parts of the plants. Precise and comparable methods to quantify methane (CH4) emissions from biogas plants are necessary to evaluate mitigation strategies and to generate more accurate emissions factors for national emission inventories in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting. The main objective of this study was to provide recommendations for the measurement and modelling procedures of inverse dispersion modelling (IDM) to assure comparability of CH4 emissions among diverse approaches and AD facilities. Two Lagrangian stochastic dispersion models were used operating in forward (LASAT) and backward (WindTrax) mode based on open-path concentration and meteorological data acquired by three international measurement teams at two biogas plants. The sensitivity analysis of the modelling systems regarding input parameters and setups (e.g. source configuration, terrain, sampling distance from the site, different combinations of wind data) showed that in WindTrax (backward mode) the measurement speed of meteorological parameters (via three-dimensional ultrasonic anemometer) had the largest influence on the calculated emission estimates, while in LASAT (forward mode) the assumption of the source configuration greatly affected the flux estimates. The used concentration data (e.g. location of observations, measurement mode of background concentration) was critically important to the success of IDM. The CH4 emission rates from the AD facility in flat terrain (plant 1) calculated with both Lagrangian models by IDM showed good agreement with the DIAL (Differential Absorption Light Detection And Ranging) method and methane release tests (deviation in the range of 10–20%) when using best fit configurations (e.g. volume source in LASAT, area source in WindTrax, optimal measurement fetch). In moderately complex terrain (plant 2), the retrieval rates of controlled CH4 releases, and thus the certainty of flux estimates of both dispersion models tended to decrease without the use of a terrain model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T00:40:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7cd6ef1b3b114a1a999853be13971260 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-1621 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T00:40:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Environment: X |
| spelling | doaj.art-7cd6ef1b3b114a1a999853be139712602022-12-21T21:26:54ZengElsevierAtmospheric Environment: X2590-16212021-12-0112100131Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilitiesMarlies Hrad0Angela Vesenmaier1Claudia Flandorfer2Martin Piringer3Sirma Stenzel4Marion Huber-Humer5University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, Institute of Waste Management, Muthgasse 107, 1190 Vienna, Austria; Corresponding author.University Stuttgart, Institute for Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality and Solid Waste Management, Bandtäle 2, 70569 Stuttgart, GermanyZentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG), Department of Environmental Meteorology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaZentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG), Department of Environmental Meteorology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaZentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG), Department of Environmental Meteorology, Hohe Warte 38, 1190 Vienna, AustriaUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), Department of Water-Atmosphere-Environment, Institute of Waste Management, Muthgasse 107, 1190 Vienna, AustriaIn biogas plants, where biological treatment of organic matter by anaerobic digestion (AD) is performed, as well as in plants for upgrading of biogas to biomethane, there might be emissions to air from different parts of the plants. Precise and comparable methods to quantify methane (CH4) emissions from biogas plants are necessary to evaluate mitigation strategies and to generate more accurate emissions factors for national emission inventories in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting. The main objective of this study was to provide recommendations for the measurement and modelling procedures of inverse dispersion modelling (IDM) to assure comparability of CH4 emissions among diverse approaches and AD facilities. Two Lagrangian stochastic dispersion models were used operating in forward (LASAT) and backward (WindTrax) mode based on open-path concentration and meteorological data acquired by three international measurement teams at two biogas plants. The sensitivity analysis of the modelling systems regarding input parameters and setups (e.g. source configuration, terrain, sampling distance from the site, different combinations of wind data) showed that in WindTrax (backward mode) the measurement speed of meteorological parameters (via three-dimensional ultrasonic anemometer) had the largest influence on the calculated emission estimates, while in LASAT (forward mode) the assumption of the source configuration greatly affected the flux estimates. The used concentration data (e.g. location of observations, measurement mode of background concentration) was critically important to the success of IDM. The CH4 emission rates from the AD facility in flat terrain (plant 1) calculated with both Lagrangian models by IDM showed good agreement with the DIAL (Differential Absorption Light Detection And Ranging) method and methane release tests (deviation in the range of 10–20%) when using best fit configurations (e.g. volume source in LASAT, area source in WindTrax, optimal measurement fetch). In moderately complex terrain (plant 2), the retrieval rates of controlled CH4 releases, and thus the certainty of flux estimates of both dispersion models tended to decrease without the use of a terrain model.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590162121000319Biogas plantMethane emissionLagrangian dispersion modelRecommendationSensitivity analysis |
| spellingShingle | Marlies Hrad Angela Vesenmaier Claudia Flandorfer Martin Piringer Sirma Stenzel Marion Huber-Humer Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities Atmospheric Environment: X Biogas plant Methane emission Lagrangian dispersion model Recommendation Sensitivity analysis |
| title | Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities |
| title_full | Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities |
| title_fullStr | Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities |
| title_short | Comparison of forward and backward Lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities |
| title_sort | comparison of forward and backward lagrangian transport modelling to determine methane emissions from anaerobic digestion facilities |
| topic | Biogas plant Methane emission Lagrangian dispersion model Recommendation Sensitivity analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590162121000319 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marlieshrad comparisonofforwardandbackwardlagrangiantransportmodellingtodeterminemethaneemissionsfromanaerobicdigestionfacilities AT angelavesenmaier comparisonofforwardandbackwardlagrangiantransportmodellingtodeterminemethaneemissionsfromanaerobicdigestionfacilities AT claudiaflandorfer comparisonofforwardandbackwardlagrangiantransportmodellingtodeterminemethaneemissionsfromanaerobicdigestionfacilities AT martinpiringer comparisonofforwardandbackwardlagrangiantransportmodellingtodeterminemethaneemissionsfromanaerobicdigestionfacilities AT sirmastenzel comparisonofforwardandbackwardlagrangiantransportmodellingtodeterminemethaneemissionsfromanaerobicdigestionfacilities AT marionhuberhumer comparisonofforwardandbackwardlagrangiantransportmodellingtodeterminemethaneemissionsfromanaerobicdigestionfacilities |