Student Research Reports
Open social media sharing options menu
Analysis of particule dispersion in a thermal inversion environment using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Organization(s):Brazil GLOBE v-School
Country:Brazil
Student(s):Endre Wane Coelho Moraes
Paulo Sérgio Araujo Oliveira
Grade Level:Undergraduate
GLOBE Educator(s):Elmo de Sena Ferreira, Hilton Costa Louzeiro
Contributors:Prof. Dr. Elmo de Sena Ferreira Júnior - expert in Computational Fluid Dynamics SImulator
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Aerosols, Air Temperature
Presentation Poster:
View Document
Language(s):Portuguese
Date Submitted:03/05/2025
The research aims to model and simulate the dispersion of particulate matter in the atmosphere, both under normal conditions and during thermal inversion, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques. Thermal inversion occurs when a layer of warm air traps cooler air near the surface, reducing air movement and accumulating pollutants. Using CFD simulations, the research modeled scenarios with and without thermal inversion and evaluated the dispersion of 10 µm particles, based on air temperature data from Mexico City on the date when thermal inversion occurred and caused air quality issues with high pollution. The results showed that in the absence of thermal inversion, particles disperse vertically and horizontally, whereas under thermal inversion conditions, dispersion is significantly reduced, resulting in the accumulation of particles near the ground. This demonstrates the impact of thermal inversion on the retention of pollutants and highlights the importance of understanding this phenomenon to develop air pollution mitigation policies, especially in urban and industrial areas.