Measurements of wind speed and plume rise with a rapid-scanning Lidar

A series of 30-min means of plume rise and dispersion parameters were measured at Fawley power station on Southampton Water between May and December 1989 using a rapid-scanning Lidar. Where possible, plume parameters were determined at three distances, typically 250, 750 and 1500 m, from the stack. Simultaneous measurements of temperature profiles were made using model aircraft and of wind speed and direction using a cup anemometer and wind vane at a height of 44 m on a transmission tower. By matching time series of plume heights at different distances, absolute measurements of wind speed at plume height could be made. These measurements gave a more reliable estimate of plume rise than did surface wind speeds. It was found that, for travel distances out to 1.5 km, the Briggs formula gave a robust prediction of plume heights with C₁ = 1.38±0.07 (95% confidence limits). At Fawley, the standard error in the predicted plume height at 500 m was then 21.0 m, or 19% of the 30-min mean plume rise. For plume-level winds of less than 20 m s⁻¹, analysis of the dependence of plume height on distance, wind speed and power-station load gave a virtual source height of 195.2±10.3 m (95% confidence limits). This is identical with the physical stack height of 198.1 m.