A two-step model to inversely identify a temporarily released pollutant source with two sensors

This investigation proposed a two-step model to inversely identify release location and temporal rate profile of an indoor pollutant source in an arbitrary release form. The first step is to run inverse solution of the release rate profiles based on Tikhonov regularization for all possible source locations with concentration information provided by one sensor. The second step is to interpret occurrence probability of each solution obtained in the first step according to the Bayesian probability model, by matching the concentration at the other sensor. To test the proposed model, a tracer-gas source released along with the respiration of a passenger in an aircraft cabin mockup is identified. The results show that the two-step model can correctly identify the pollutant source location and the temporal release rates. The performance of the proposed inverse model is highly subject to the sensor placement locations. As a general guideline, both sensors shall be placed in the direct down stream as close as possible to the actual release sources.