Paper III: Plume height measurements at Northfleet and Tilbury power stations

Abstract

An extensive series of lidar measurements of plume rise at Northfleet Power Station (effective stack height 120 m) fits the formula of Lucaset al. (1963): $\text{Z}{}_{\max }\text{=}\text{αQ}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{U}$, where α is 500 m² sec⁻¹ MW⁻⁺, $\text{Z}{}_{\max }$ = plume rise (m), $\text{Q = heat emission (MW)}$ and $\text{U = wind speed (m sec}{}^{\mathrm{-1}}\text{)}$. Measurements of plume rise at Tilbury Power Station made with a modified cloud-base searchlight are also in reasonable agreement with the formula.