A Laplace Transform Approach to Gaussian Plume Modelling of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Dispersion

Abstract

This paper presents a modified Laplace transform approach to analysing the atmospheric dispersion of carbon dioxide (CO₂), using the Ibom Power Thermal Plant as a case study. The adaptation of the Gaussian plume model for CO₂ dispersion from Nigerian thermal power plants remains limited. This work addresses this gap by developing a localized model that integrates site-specific emission and meteorological data to predict spatial CO₂ concentration fields under steady-state conditions. The governing advection–diffusion equation was solved analytically using Laplace transform and implemented in Maple for simulation and visualization. Model parameters, including emission rate, wind velocity, and atmospheric stability classes, were estimated from Ibom Power operational data and Norwegian Meteorological Institute datasets. Results revealed that CO₂ concentration impacts groundlevel air quality most significantly between 2500 m and 3500 m downwind, after which it decreases exponentially with distance. The novelty of this work lies in its site-specific adaptation of the Gaussian plume model to Nigeria’s humid coastal environment and its inclusion of a reaction term in the standard Gaussian model equation. The findings from this research provide valuable insights to land planners on situating sensitive receptors such as schools, hospitals, and residential areas away from high-exposure zones.