A CFD study of roadside barrier impact on the dispersion of road air pollution

Abstract

This study evaluated road shape and roadside barrier impact on near-road air pollution dispersion using FLUENT computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Simulated road shapes are three types, namely atgrade, depressed, and filled road. The realizable k-ε model in FLUENT CFD code was used to simulate the flow and dispersion around road. The selected concentration profile results were compared with the wind tunnel experiments. The overall concentration profile results show good agreement with the wind tunnel results. The results showed that noise barriers, which positioned around the at-grade road, decrease the horizontal impact distance (In this study, the impact distance was defined as the distance from road surface origin coordinate to the position whose mass fraction is 0.1.) lower 0.33~0.65 times and change the vertical air pollution impact distance larger 2.0~2.27 times than those of no barrier case. In case of filled road, noise barriers decrease the horizontal impact distance lower 0.24~0.65 times and change the vertical air pollution impact distance larger 3.33~3.55 times than those of no barrier case. The depressed road increase 1.53~1.68 times the vertical air pollution impact distance. It contributes the decrease of horizontal air pollution impact distance 0.32~0.60 times compare with no barrier case.