EPA/600/A-96/117
8.5 DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTEGRATED MOBILE METHOROI OGICAL MONITORING
SYS TEM FOR USE IN OPEN BURNING AND OPEN DETONATION ACTIVITIES
(iennaro H Cresccnti'
Atmosphenc Sciences Modeling Division
Air Resources Laboratory
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Research Triangle Park. North Carolina
Brian D. Templeman
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
University of Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
1. INTRODUCTION
During the Cold War the United States military
accumulated a vast arsenal of warfare materials. These
included explosive munitions, propellants, and various
pyrotechnic materials. Now that the Cold War has ended,
the U. S is faced with the task of disposing these
energetic materials in an environmentally sale manner.
Disposal of the demilitarized stockpile will be a
momentous undertaking. The current surplus inventory
is estimated to be at 450,000 tons and growing rapidly at
a rate of40,000 tons per year (U. S. Army 1995). These
materials are distributed throughout the country at several
hundred Department of Defense (DOD) and Department
of Energy (DOE) installations. Many of the materials arc
old, unstable, and unsafe.
The most common disposal method currently in use
is open burning (OB) and open detonation (OD).
OR/OD activities are a relatively simple and cost
effective means for stockpile reduction. However, these
activities can generate air pollutants such as SO,, NOx)
CO, particulates, metals, cyanides, and volatile and
semivolatile organic compounds Any facility which
intends to use OB/OD disposal methods must meet
permit requirements under Part '264, Subpart X of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (! J S EPA
1993). lo obtain a Subpart X permit, a facility must
provide information on the materials being destroyed, the
type and quantity- of pollutants being released, a
'(>n assignment to the National Exposure Research Laboratory.
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Corresponding
author address. Gennaro H. Crescenti. U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency. National Exposure Research Laboratory.
Rest-arch Triangle Park. NC 2*7711. E-mail uddret*
crescenti.jerryi2eparnail.epa.gov.
description of how these pollutants will be dispersed in
time and space, and an assessment on the potential
impact on human health and the surrounding ecosystem
by these emissions both on a short-term and long-term
basis A Subpart X permit is issued by an Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Office only if the
facility can demonstrate that the impact from OB/OL)
activities poses no significant threat to human health and
the surrounding ecosystem Very few Subpart X permits
have been granted. This is due, in part, to the lack of an
EPA approved model specifically designed to simulate
OB/OD transport and dispersion In many instances, the
facility applying for a permit does not have enough data
to demonstrate compliance. Very few permits have been
granted; the ones that have been are very restrictive m
scope.
The Strategic Environmental Research and
Development Program (SERDP) has funded EPA's
National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and the
National Oceanic and Atmosphenc Administration's
(NOAA) Environmental Technology Laboratory (ETL)
to develop an OB/OD an pollution dispersion model and
a mobile meteorological observing platform which will
be used to acquire the necessary information needed for
obtaining a Subpart X permit. Weil et al. (1995, 1996a,
1996b) are currently undertaking the development of a
Gaussian puff model which considers source emissions,
plume nse, transport and dispersion from either an OB or
OD. l"he mobile meteorological monitoring system will
be used to provide a detailed characterization of the
structure and dispersive state of the atmospheric
boundary layer (ABL). In addition, those data acquired
by the mobile monitoring system will be used by the
model for predicting transport and dispersion of
emissions released by an OB or OD into the atmosphere
This paper describes the integrated suite of
meteorological sensors.
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2. SENSOR DESCRIPTION
Because the plumes released from OB/OD activities
rise quickly, it is important to accui ately characterize the
state of the ABL. In order to accomplish this, a suite of
ground-based in situ and remote sensors will he used to
characterize the vertical structure of the atmosphere from
the surface up to 2 to 3 km. The original design
specifications for a measurement system were first
presented at an OB/OD workshop iri February 1995
(Banta 199(V). A consensus was reached on the
measurements needed to characterize the ARE and for
input into the OB/OD dispersion model The integrated
system was designed to be mobile so that the system
could be easily moved from one OB/OD site to another
with a minimal amount of time and effort.
Tower-based in situ sensors will be used to acquire
surface laver measurements while a suite of remote
sensors, mounted on a flatbed trailer, will be used to
obtain vertical profile data. The accompanying
electronics and data acquisition systems will be located in
a nearby enclosed mobile trailer.
2.1 In Situ Sensors
A 20-m open-lattice aluminum tower will serve as a
measurement platform for a number of in situ sensors.
An R. M. Young wind monitor (05701-AQ) will measure
scalar-averaged wind speed (S), vector-averaged wind
speed (U), vector-avei aged wind direction (0), and the
standard deviation of the wind direction (o„) at 10m. A
Vaisala HMP-35A probe will be used to measure air
temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) at 2 m. Net
radiation (Qs) will be acquired with a Radiation Energy
Balance Systems net iadiometer. A Vaisala PTB-101B
will be used for measuring barometric pressure (P) while
precipitation (R) data will l>e acquired by a Texas
Electronics tipping bucket rain gauge. A Campbell
.Scientific CR-10 data logger will be used to interrogate
these seasons and log their data as 1 5-min values These
data will be telemetered via a radio frequency (RF) linc-
of-site link to the "hub" computer on regularly scheduled
basis (typically once per hour) or on demand
Two Metek sonic anemometers (USA.-l) will be
mounted on the tower at 5 and 20 m. These fast response
instruments will acquire 15-min mean (u, v, w, Tv) and
standard deviation (a.,, o. ow, oTv) of the three-
component wind velocity and virtual atr temperature.
I ^sing eddy correlation techniques, these sonics can also
determine turbulence parameters such as the kinematic
heat flux (w'T'v), kinematic momentum flux (uV).
friction velocity (u.), temperature scale (!.), Monin-
Obukhov length (L'l. drag coefficient (C„), and
longitudinal (lx), lateral (Iv) and vertical (It) turbulence
intensity. Each sonic transmits its data bv an RS-232
serial line to a computer
The monitoring system is designed to incorporate a
number of ancillary tower systems where complex terrain
settings demanded a better representation of the surface
layer wind field Should this need arise, a sufficient
number of 10-m towers will be deployed In this case,
each tower will be equipped only with an R. M. Young
wind monitor and a Vaisala air temperature and relative
humidity probe. A Campbell Scientific CR-10 data
logger will be used to acquire these data and the same Rl-
telemetry' link will be utilized for transmission of this
information to the huh computer. A summary of the
surface laver in situ instruments and measurements is
given in Table 1.
TABLE 1. Summary of surface laver in situ sensor
measurements
Manufacturer
Model
Measurement
R. M. Young
05701 -AQ
S. U,0, 0,
Vaisala
H MP-3 5 A
T.RI1
RKBS
net radiometer
Qn
Vaisala
PTB-I01B
P
Texas Elect.
tipping bucket
R
Metek
USA-1
u, v, w, T,
Q.„ O, , O. ,0 It
w'T'v, u'w. u., T.,
I-, Cc„ is I.. I,
2 2 Remote Sensors
Two types of profilers will be used to acquire
detailed wind field data. The first is a Radian 924 MHz
phased-array Doppler wind profiling radar (LAP-3000).
The range of the radar is approximately 2 to 4 km with a
resolution of 100 m. The remotely-sensed measurements
include horizontal wind speed (U) and direction (0), the
standard deviation of the horizontal wind direction (o0),
and vertical wind speed (W) In addition, the radar
estimates the refractive index structure parameter (CN2).
This value is a direct measurement of the turbulent
intensity of humidity fluctuations in the ABI. and is useful
for estimating the mixed layer height (z).
The second profiler is a Radian phased-array
Doppler sodar (600PA) This sensor will be used to
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acquire wind profiles in tic first several hwlirei meters
of the planetary boundary layer, ft* sodar range »
approximately §00 m with a rcsohiiion of 25 m T1k
sodirKfiRitbc same wind field data (U, 8, o* W) is
wdl as the standard ievktkjii of the vertical wind speed
(oJl
is dlrocflj related to the temperature rtructare Unction
(C/) This mfiastaionaji is useful m deptotBig mvomm
kyas and cfl*r regions wwe tempo-Mure |p»dSents exist.
A tufa «too»isfic somntditig system (RASS) has been
included by oanlbinBig the »dar and sodar to acqi*
ptdBo; of virtual air terapentiK (TJ. Ike range of toe
RASS is 1 to 1.5 km with a resolution of 100 m This
RASS differs from the mm tendMooaiJ systems used in
the past which mined fa* sepmte acoustic sources
sunotming the radar. In this ©orfgrnfion, 1* sodar is
oowtfKnoustKwn. He phased-anay dap allows
the acoustic beam to be steered upwind which optimizes
data capture dBckocy Pwsag the fir* 25 nan of a 30-
min sampling interval, the rular ami sodar opoite
iniq?eniefitj»fromeacfaoiier acqMing windprofile and
backwtter data During the last 5 asm, the RASS mode
is initiated. The sodar and radar woric together to
detemne a mean profile of T,.
A Vaisala CT25K cetlometer will be used to
estimate the aerosol backscatter profile (I*) cloud
1*aeMgjte(^ftamthe5nrtiieet0»txMt41kmwitha 15-
mreatdutioa. A summary of the upper-air remote sensing
instruments and measurements is given in Table 2.
The radar, sodar, and oofaneler ire mowied on a 7-
m flatbed trailer. The radar sits on the front end of the
trailer wMIe the sodar is situated in the rear. He
cetlometer resides near the basic edgpe of the trailer
(Figw* I).
is ncoonipiiAei with the u* of sewa jacks mounted
•hag the sides aod frail of the trailer
* «9%4JM»VNI<» vmi .
From left to right: Ceikxneter, sodar, and radar
Assembly and evaluation of this integrated nbie
aarteaKiajpcii mooitaring system has been conducted at
the Boulder Afco^haic ObservaUsy (BAO) in Brie,
Colorado (Kaimal and Gaynor 1983). Meteorological
measurements taken from the BAO 300-m tower law
be® used to establisih the rfMbaitjf of the upper-rir data
obtained by the remote sensors.
3. COMPUTER SYSTEMS
A substantial number of oompner systems ami
i4rr*rrwmrit «ry nwwfWi far A»t« «i
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FABIJP. 2. SutTWMry of upper-air remote sen** mrasurements
Minimwn/MaxiiBW Resolution
Manufacturer
Model
Variables
Range (ni)
Cm)
Kacfiae
LAP-3000
u.e.w,
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4 SUMMARY
An integrated mobile meteorological monitoring
sy stem has been designed and constructed to characterize
the atmospheric boundary- layer at facilities which
conduct open burning and open detonation of surplus
military munitions. Because the plume released from an
OB/OD can rise quickly, it is important to accurately
predict how the atmosphere will disperse the plume In
order to accomplish this, an integrated suite of ground-
based in situ and remote sensors will be used to
characterize the vertical structure of the atmosphere in
the vicinity of an OB/OD release from the surface up to
2 to 3 km. Surface layer measurements include
horizontal wind speed and direction, air temperature,
relative humidity, net radiation, barometric pressure, and
precipitation. In addition, two sonic anemometers are
employed to acquire turbulent fluxes Vertical wind
profiles are acquired by a 924 MHz wind profiling radar
and a phased-array Doppier sodar. The sodar also acts as
the acoustic source for the RASS which acquires profiles
of virtual air temperature. A ceilometer has also been
included to acquire information on aerosol backscatter
and cloud base height. These ground-based remote
senses arc mounted on a 7-m flatbed trailei winch allows
easy transport fiom one OB/OD facility to another. All
of the computers used for data acquisition are networked
togetliei into a hub computer. The meteorological data
are used by an OB/OD model residing on the primary
system for predicting transport and dispersion of
emissions released into the atmosphere.
5 ACKN'OWl .EDGMF.NTS
The authors wish to express thanks to William
Mitchell for his support Special thanks to David
Gemmill and Alan Hoffman for their reviews and to
Sherry Rrown for developing the schematic. This work-
has been supported by the Strategic Environmental
Research and Development Program project 251.
6. DISCLAIMER
This document has been reviewed in accordance
wiUi U. S. Environmental Protection Agency policy and
approved for publication Mention of trade names or
commercial products does not constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use
7 REFERENCES
Angevine, W. M., A. B. White, and S. K. Avery, 1994:
Boundary-layer depth and entrainment zone
characterization with a boundary-layer profiler.
Bound.-LaverMeteor., 68, 375-385.
Banta. R. M., 1996: ETL/EPA workshop on open
burning/open detonation (OB/OD) NO A A Tech.
Memo. ERL ETL-267, Boulder, CO. 54 pp.
Kaimal, J. C., and J E. Gaynor, 1983: The Boulder
Atmospheric Observatory. J. Climate Appl.
Meteor., 22, 863-880
U. S Army, 1995: Joint Demilitarization Stuciv. Joint
Ordnance Commanders Group. Demil Technologv
Office, U S Army Defense Ammunition C enter and
School, Savanna. TL, 128 pp
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1993. RCRA 40
CFR Part 264, Subpart A* Draft Permit Writers
Technical Resource Document Code of f ederal
Regulations, Title 40, Part 264, Office of the Federal
Register, Washington, D. C
Weber, B. L., D. B Wucrtz, D C Welsh, and R
McPeek, 1993: Quality controls for profiler
measurements of winds and RASS temperatures J.
Atmos. Oceanic Techno!. , 10. 452-164
Weil, J.C..B Templeman, R Banta, and W Mitchell,
1995 Atmospheric dispersion model development
for open burn/open detonation emissions Proc .
88th Annua! Meeting <Ł• Exhibition, San Antonio,
TX, Air & Waste Management Assoc.. paper 95-
MP22A.05.
Weil, J. C\, B Templeman, R. Banta, R. Weber, and W.
Mitchell, 1996a: Dispersion model development for
open burn/open detonation sources. Preprint, 9th
Joint Conference on the Applications of Air
Pollution Meteorology, Atlanta, GA, Amer Meteor
Soc , 610-616.
Weil, J. C , B. Templeman, and W Mitchell, 1996b:
Progress in developing an open bum/open
detonation dispersion model. Proc., 89th Annua!
Meeting & Exhibition, Nashville, TN, Air & Waste
Management Assoc , paper 96-TA35 01
White, A. B., 1993: Mixing depth detection using MHz
radar reflectivity data. Preprints, 8th Symposium on
Meteorological Observations and Instrumentation,
Anaheim, CA, Arner Meteor Soc., 248-250.
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TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
1. REPORT NO. 2.
EPA/600/A-96/117
3
4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE
Development of an Integrated Mobile Meteorological Monitoring System for Use
in Open Burning and Open Detonation Activities
5.REPOST DATE
6.PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHORS)
'Gennaro H. Crescenti and 'Brian D. Templeman
8.PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS
'Atmospheric Modeling Division
National Exposure Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
Univcrstiy of Colorado
Boudler, Colorado
10 PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
U. CONTRACT/GRANT NO.
12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS
National Exposure Research Laboratory
Office of Research and Development
IJ.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
13 .TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD COVERED
14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
16 ABSTRACT
An integrated mobile meteorological monitoring system has been designed and constructed to characterize the
atmospheric boundary layer at facilities which conduct open burning (OB) and open detonation (OD) of surplus (i. e.,
demilitarized) military munitions Because the plume released from an OB or OD can rise quickly, it is important to accurately
predict how the atmosphere will disperse the plume. In order to accomplish this, an integrated suite of ground-based in situ and
remote sensors will be used to characterize the vertical structure of the atmosphere in the vicinity of an OB/OD release from the
surface up to 2 to 3 km. Surface layer measurements include horizontal wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative
humidity, net radiation, barometric pressure, and precipitation. In addition, a sonic anemometer will be employed to acquire
turbulent fluxes. Vertical wind profiles will be acquired by a phased-array Doppler sodar and a 924 MHz wind profiling radar.
The sodar also doubles as the acoustic source for the radio acoustic sounding system (RASS) which acquires profiles of virtual air
temperature. A ccilometer has also been included to help in the estimation of mixed layer height These ground-based remote
sensors are mounted on a 7 m flat bed trailer which allows easy transport from one OB/OD facility to another. All of the
computers used for data acquisition are networked together into a primary computer. The meteorological data will be used by an
OB/OD model residing on the primary system for predicting transport and dispersion of emissions released into the atmosphere
This paper describes the design of this mobile monitoring system.
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