Ocean Outfalls. I: Submerged Wastefield Formation

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Abstract
Experiments to study the dilution and formation of wastefields resulting from discharge into a linearly density‐stratified steady current of arbitrary speed and direction are reported in three papers. The experiments were conducted using a model multi‐port diffuser for a range of parameters typical of ocean wastewater outfalls. In this paper, results are given from which the established wastefield characteristics for the “line plume” source conditions can be predicted. In general, the wastefield rise height and thickness decrease as the current speed increases. Dilution increases with current speed for all current directions, with diffusers perpendicular to the current resulting in higher dilutions than when parallel. Concentration profiles for perpendicular currents show little horizontal structure as the individual plumes rapidly merge. The results for dilution show no dependency on port spacing or source momentum flux over the parameter range tested, and the dominant source parameter is the buoyancy flux per unit length. The results confirm the value of the “line plume” approximation for predicting dilutions for deepwater ocean outfalls over a fairly wide parameter range.

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