A self-adapting model for assessing hazardous environmental releases

Simulation results are presented by using an h-adaptive mass consistent finite element method (FEM) coupled with a Lagrangian particle transport technique (LPT) for dispersion associated with hazardous atmospheric releases. A three-dimensional wind field is first constructed from the adaptive FEM model. Lagrangian particles that define the contaminant dispersion are then produced with the LPT scheme, employing a random walk/stochastic approach. The application of FEM permits flow patterns with irregular geometries to be easily simulated, while the LPT permits contaminant particle dispersion patterns to be quickly depicted. The hybrid model is fast, runs on PCs, and appears well suited for emergency response dispersion predictions and assessment. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2008