Air quality monitoring system and method

A computer-implemented method for identifying a source of a target chemical at a site, the method comprising:

• providing at least a predominate air quality monitor comprising:
• a first sensor responsive to the target chemical;
• and
• a first location at which a predominate air quality monitor is located;
• measuring a first concentration of the target chemical at the predominate air quality monitor as a function of:
• a wind speed;
• a wind direction;
• and
• wherein the wind speed and the wind direction are measured using a wind sensor;
• providing a plume of the target chemical, the plume comprising:
• a horizontal distribution deviation defined as a standard deviation of a horizontal distribution of a plume concentration;
• a vertical distribution deviation defined as a standard deviation of a vertical distribution of the plume concentration;
• creating at least one simulation model for the site based on simulation parameters, wherein the simulation parameters comprise at least two of:
• a wind direction;
• a wind speed;
• an air pressure;
• an air temperature;
• a number of potential emission sources;
• a location of each of the potential emission sources;
• a source flux associated with each of the potential emission sources;
• a surface concentration;
• a weather condition;
• a hygrometry data;
• and
• an altitude;
• identifying an emission rate of the target chemical at the source using the simulation model functionally operated by:
• the standard deviation of horizontal distribution;
• the standard deviation of vertical distribution;
• the first concentration at the predominate air quality monitor;
• the wind speed;
• and
• outputting the identified source to a computer device.

A method of installing an air quality monitor system at a site, the method comprising:

• surveying the site by procuring:
• an equipment log of a plurality of leak-prone equipment at the site;
• a centroid of the leak-prone equipment;
• and
• a wind-rose diagram representative of wind at the site;
• attaching the wind-rose diagram to the site, the wind-rose diagram comprising:
• a predominate downwind direction;
• a secondary downwind direction angularly offset from the predominate downwind direction;
• and
• a tertiary downwind direction angularly offset from the predominate downwind direction and oppositely disposed from the secondary downwind direction;
• installing a predominate air quality monitor in the predominate downwind direction from the centroid at a location where the predominate air quality monitor has a maximal angular separation between the leak-prone equipment;
• installing a secondary air quality monitor in the secondary downwind direction from the centroid where the secondary air quality monitor has minimal observational overlap with the predominate air quality monitor;
• and
• installing a tertiary air quality monitor in the tertiary downwind direction from the centroid where the tertiary air quality monitor has minimal observational overlap with the predominate air quality monitor and with the secondary air quality monitor.