The examination of the PhD thesis of Anel Hernandez Garces of the Institute of Science and Technology (INSTRE) of Havana, Cuba has taken place at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.
The thesis deals with the Modelling of Atmospheric Pollutants with particular reference to power plant of Portes in Galicia and the industrial complex in Cienfuegos in Cuba.
The examination panel was composed of:
- Professor Carlos A Brebbia (President), Wessex Institute of Technology, UK
- Dr Fernando Martin Llorente of CIEMAT (Centre for Engineering, Environmental and Technology Research), Madrid, Spain
- Dr Maria Alexandra Castelo Sobral Monteiro, University of Aveiro, Portugal
- Dr Rafael Borge, Politecnic University of Madrid, Spain
The Secretary was Dr Angel Rodriguez Lopez of the University of Santiago de Compostela.
The work considers the use of meteorological data with a Lagrangian programme that can represent diffusion of contaminants. The validation of the model was carried out against experimental measurements from actual emission sources in Galicia and Cuba.
Results obtained by the calculations confirmed the possibility of applying this type of model in practice. The conclusion is that it is possible to rely on air quality models as regulatory tools as well as on experimental measurements to monitor and control air pollution.
The thesis was approved following its presentation and a successful defence. The work makes an important contribution to the development of better analytical tools for prediction, monitoring and control of air pollution and represents a significant transfer of technology to set up better regulatory tools in Cuba.
Wessex Institute