AERMOD View – How to Change Executables

In last month’s Modeling Tip, we discussed how to track which versions of the AERMOD and AERMET models were used for a specific project. Here, we look at how you can change the version of AERMOD used by AERMOD View.

Numerous versions of the AERMOD model have been released over the years. As the model is updated, new versions are published by the US EPA to the Support Center for Regulatory Atmospheric Modeling (SCRAM). There are many situations where a modeler may wish to use an older version of the AERMOD executable. For example:

• Regulators in some countries may still mandate the use of an earlier version of AERMOD.


• A specific version of AERMOD may be stipulated in the modeling plan and permit application, even though a newer version of the model may have become available since the project started.


• There are certain situations where a custom recompiled version may be required to support specific non-regulatory options or to implement advanced modeling configurations such as the ability to run in a parallel processing environment.

The newly-released AERMOD View Version 9.3.0 supports the latest US EPA model update (version 16216r) as well as several previous releases including 15181, 14134, and more. To change the version of AERMOD used by the interface, complete the following steps.

Step 1: Open the File menu and select Preferences.

Step 2: The various models available in AERMOD View are listed under the EPA Models/Limits section. Select AERMOD.

Step 3: The default executable is AERMOD.EXE which represents the most recent US EPA executable (currently 16216r). Select the drop-down list to see all available model executables.

Step 4: Select the version of the model you want to use. Executables named AERMOD_MPI_LAKES_xxxxx.EXE represent the parallelized version of the listed model number. This version is developed by Lakes Environmental and is included free of charge for AERMOD View users who have a computer with multiple processors (see installation instructions for further information).

Note that the selected version is ‘sticky’. You will continue to run with the selected executable until the next time a change is made.

Step 5: Users can also select their own recompiled version of AERMOD by selecting the User-Specified radio button. Use the Browse button to search your computer for the desired executable. When modeling with a User-Specified executable, it is the user’s responsibility to verify all the proper model options are selected.