ISC-AERMOD View DESCRIPTION

You can graphically define the location of your sources, discrete receptors, receptor grids, plant boundary and more!

3D visualization of your stacks and buildings. True 3D control allows you to view your site from any perspective. You can select any texture and apply it to your buildings.

ISC-AERMOD View has a unique powerful postprocessor with overlay site-maps in various file formats (AutoCAD DXF file, USGS DLG and LULC maps, and Bitmap images) and automated "no-hassle" color contour plots. One or more contour plot files can be displayed on the screen at the same time. High-quality graphical output can be sent to a printer or pasted into your word processor document.

ISC-AERMOD View extracts digital terrain heights for receptor elevations from 1-degree and 7.5-minute Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), UK NTF and DTM, and XYZ formats.

ISC-AERMOD View Introduction
ISC-AERMOD View Modeling Capabilities
ISC-AERMOD View Input Requirements
ISC-AERMOD View Support Packages
BPIP View - Interface for BPIP
Rammet View - Interface for PCRAMMET
ISC-AERMOD View Requirements
 

ISC-AERMOD View Introduction

ISC-AERMOD View is a complete and powerful Windows air dispersion modeling system which seamlessly incorporates three popular U.S. EPA models into one interface: ISCST3, AERMOD and ISC PRIME.

The Industrial Source Complex - Short Term regulatory air dispersion model (ISCST3) is a Gaussian plume model and is widely used to assess pollution concentration and/or deposition flux on receptors from a wide variety of sources.

AERMOD is the next generation air dispersion model which incorporates planetary boundary layer concepts. Further information about this model can be found by clicking here.

The Industrial Source Complex - Plume RIse Model Enhancements (ISC-PRIME) dispersion model is similar to the ISCST3 model but contains enhanced building downwash analysis.

ISTSC3 Modeling Capabilities

• The ISCST3 model may be used to model primary pollutants and continuous releases of toxic and hazardous waste pollutants.
• The ISCST3 model can handle multiple sources including point, volume, area, and open pit source types. Line sources may also be modeled as a string of volume sources or as elongated area sources.
• Source emission rates can be treated as constant or may be varied by month, season, hour-of-day, or other optional periods of variation. These variable emission rate factors may be specified for a single source or for a group of sources.
• ISCST3 can account for the effects of aerodynamic downwash due to nearby buildings on point source emissions.
• The model contains algorithms for modeling the effects of settling and removal (through dry deposition) of large particulates and for modeling the effects of precipitation scavenging for gases or particulates.
• Receptors locations can be specified as gridded and/or discrete receptors in a Cartesian or polar coordinates.
• The ISCST3 model uses real-time meteorological data to account for the atmospheric conditions that affect the distribution of air pollution impacts on the modeling area.

The ISC-AERMOD View interface includes all the ISCST3 modeling options in addition to the following:

• Graphical input where you can use your mouse to graphically define the location of stacks, receptor grids, discrete receptors, and plant boundary.
   
• Converts your Cartesian and polar receptor grids into discrete receptors with the option of automatic elimination of receptors within your plant boundary.
   
• Extracts digital terrain heights for receptor elevations from 1 degree and 7.5 minute USGS Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), UK NTF and DTM, and XYZ formats.
   
• Automatic creation of your terrain grid file for dry depletion analysis in elevated or complex terrain using DEMs.
   
• ISC-AERMOD View User's Guide uses pictures and graphical information to assist you in quickly grasping the manual's contents.
   
• 3D visualization of your buildings and stacks with true 3D control and the ability to apply any texture to building surfaces.
   
• The program checks valid ranges for all entry fields which will help save you time by preventing wrong entries.
   
• You can view all the sources and receptors you have defined for your modeling project graphically in context with one or more site maps (in AutoCAD DXF, USGS DLG, LULC, BMP and Shapefile formats).
   
• Before running your project, ISC-AERMOD View displays a report of all options selected along with a list of any missing information.
   
• Powerful postprocessor with overlay site-maps in AutoCAD DXF format, USGS DLG and LULC maps, Shapefile and Bitmap images, and automated "no-hassle" shaded contour plots. You can have multiple plots displayed at the same time on the screen. ISC-AERMOD View can also export your modeling results to Surfer.

ISC-AERMOD View Input Requirements

The ISC-AERMOD View interface uses the five pathways that compose the ISCST3 runstream file as the basis for its functional organization. These pathways are:

Control Pathway (CO): where you specify the modeling scenario and the overall control of the modeling run.

Source Pathway (SO): where you define the sources of pollutant emissions. In this pathway you must specify the location of the source and source parameters, i.e., emission rate, physical stack height, stack gas exit velocity, etc. Optional inputs include: source elevation, building dimensions, variable emission rates, particle size distributions, scavenging coefficients, etc.

Receptor Pathway (RE): where you define the receptors to determine the air quality impact at specific locations. Input requirements are the location and optional ground elevation for each receptor.

Meteorology Pathway (ME): where you define the atmospheric conditions of the area being modeled so that it can be taken into account when determining the distribution of air pollution impacts for the area. ISCST3 requires hourly surface weather data that can be preprocessed by Rammet View which comes FREE with the ISC-AERMOD View package.

Terrain Grid Pathway (TG): where you have the option of specifying gridded terrain data to be used in calculating dry depletion in an elevated or complex terrain.

Output Pathway (OU): where you define which output results are necessary to meet the needs of the air quality modeling analyses. Various types of output files can be produced. You may choose to output concentration, dry deposition flux, wet deposition flux or total deposition flux. ISC-AERMOD View comes with a postprocessor that can plot these results for you automatically.

ISC-AERMOD View Support Packages: BPIP View and Rammet View (Included)

BPIP View - Interface for the EPA Building Profile Input Program (BPIP)

BPIP View is a graphical interface to speed up the work load involved in setting up input data for the U.S. EPA's BPIP model (Building Profile Input Program). The BPIP model calculates direction-specific building widths and building heights for use with the ISC model in downwash analyses. BPIP View is a true, native Microsoft Windows application and runs in Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11 (Windows for Workgroups), Windows 95, and Windows NT.

Additional features are:

• BPIP View's data input for location and dimension of buildings (structures) and stacks can be done in two ways: (1) graphically, where you can digitize buildings and stacks on the screen with your mouse, or (2) in text mode, where you can add information in a spreadsheet-like input form.
• You can display a site map as an overlay in Bitmap format (*.BMP) or in AutoCAD DXF format (a standard way of digitizing maps), to visualize the location of stacks, buildings, roads, rivers, etc.
• Import building coordinates directly from your CAD or GIS package. No need to reenter them.
• Context-sensitive "Help that really helps" which includes status bar tips and full-blown Windows-type Help. Help also contains sections of the BPIP User's Guide to help facilitate the understanding of the model requirements and alternatives.

Rammet View - Interface for the EPA PCRAMMET Meteorological Preprocessor

Rammet View is a Windows interface for the U.S. EPA PCRAMMET meteorological preprocessor. PCRAMMET is used for processing National Weather Service (NWS) data for use in the EPA short term air quality dispersion models such as ISCST3.

Additional features are:

• Rammet View interface will ease the process of preprocessing meteorological data. The interface includes tips that will guide you through the steps necessary to prepare your met data for use with ISCST3.
• Context-sensitive "Help that really helps" which includes status bar tips and full-blown Windows-style Help. Help also contains sections of the EPA PCRAMMET Users Guide to facilitate the understanding of the model requirements and alternatives.
• Includes several utilities which easily allow non-standard formats to be converted for processing. Excel files can also be imported and a File Maker utility guides the user through creating their own meteorological data files.
• Rammet View will free you from buying expensive preprocessed met data from other companies.

ISC-AERMOD View Requirements

  PC 486/Pentium running Windows 95/98/NT.