Rapid Identification of Moving Contaminant Sources Through Physics-Based Modelling

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Mattuschka, Marco, Bonari, Jacopo, von Danwitz, Max, Popp, Alexander
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Mattuschka, Marco
Bonari, Jacopo
von Danwitz, Max
Popp, Alexander
author_facet Mattuschka, Marco
Bonari, Jacopo
von Danwitz, Max
Popp, Alexander
contents In an act of sabotage or terrorism, hazardous material might be released deliberately into the atmosphere to threaten individuals, e.g., those operating critical infrastructure. Hazardous materials in such a scenario include toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), which are often invisible to the human eye, making it difficult to detect and respond to releases in a timely manner. This contribution considers the scenario of an airborne hazardous release requiring rapid and reliable assessment, with a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) sensor system providing scarce and local measurements. We present a novel algorithm that couples these data with an advection-diffusion model to detect, localize, and quantify a moving and time-varying contaminant source. Unlike many existing methods, the approach identifies sources with unknown occurrence time and trajectory by incorporating spatial sparsity as prior information. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in a two-dimensional computational domain. To further increase the technology readiness level, we additionally propose a calibration methodology for the required three-dimensional flow models based on wind tunnel experiments. Finally, a strategy for coupling the framework with real-time sensor data within a digital twin environment is outlined to enable predictive decision support in emergency scenarios.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_12969
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Rapid Identification of Moving Contaminant Sources Through Physics-Based Modelling
Mattuschka, Marco
Bonari, Jacopo
von Danwitz, Max
Popp, Alexander
Numerical Analysis
In an act of sabotage or terrorism, hazardous material might be released deliberately into the atmosphere to threaten individuals, e.g., those operating critical infrastructure. Hazardous materials in such a scenario include toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), which are often invisible to the human eye, making it difficult to detect and respond to releases in a timely manner. This contribution considers the scenario of an airborne hazardous release requiring rapid and reliable assessment, with a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) sensor system providing scarce and local measurements. We present a novel algorithm that couples these data with an advection-diffusion model to detect, localize, and quantify a moving and time-varying contaminant source. Unlike many existing methods, the approach identifies sources with unknown occurrence time and trajectory by incorporating spatial sparsity as prior information. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated in a two-dimensional computational domain. To further increase the technology readiness level, we additionally propose a calibration methodology for the required three-dimensional flow models based on wind tunnel experiments. Finally, a strategy for coupling the framework with real-time sensor data within a digital twin environment is outlined to enable predictive decision support in emergency scenarios.
title Rapid Identification of Moving Contaminant Sources Through Physics-Based Modelling
topic Numerical Analysis
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.12969