Plumecast™

Real time display of areas at risk from toxic plumes

An invaluable tool for anyone dealing with hazardous plumes, a Plumecast system can provide instantaneous information on areas affected or at risk.

Plumecast is a system to provide real time display of possible and actual dispersion of atmospheric pollutants in an accidental release. It shows emergency services, site operators and incident managers the area at risk from an airborne toxic plume to help them implement appropriate emergency procedures.

Plumecast is a combination of software and meteorological sensors, including ultrasonic anemometers, linked to a PC based monitor. The monitor displays the area that would be at risk from an accidental release and in an emergency it displays the estimated present location of an airborne plume and areas at risk from its further spread. The use of ultrasonic anemometers is critical as they allow turbulence characteristics to be measured directly rather than estimated. This makes real time dispersion modelling much more accurate. The use of real-time measurements taken at or near the source of the release is the key feature of Plumecast and gives it not just greater accuracy but a unique ability to react to changing circumstances.

Plume prediction and plotting based on local weather conditions

Plumecast is intended to run continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Two lines are drawn from the potential pollution source over a map of the local area. These enclose an 'area at risk', the area over which airborne pollution might pass in the event of a release. These lines are updated continuously, using real time sensor data, even when there is no current release so that in the event of an accident the area at risk is instantly available. There is absolutely no delay in starting dispersion models and no need to contact off-site authorities, at least not immediately.

Intended for top-tier COMAH sites, nuclear facilities and any site used for storage of material that could result in airborne toxic releases, installing Plumecast is the best way to demonstrate a capability to provide the information required for off-site emergency plans. During an accidental release Plumecast also plots the likely location of the plume. This takes the form of a plot overlaid on the local area map.