Sensitivity Analysis and Comparative Performance of Outfalls with Single Buoyant Plumes
This article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYThis article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYThis article has a reply.
VIEW THE REPLYPublication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 129, Issue 2
Abstract
This paper presents a new approach to analyze the performance of outfalls with single buoyant plumes in flowing ambient sea water, taking into account all three dilution mechanisms: the initial, the dispersion, and the effective dilution due to the decay of nonconservative substances. Simultaneous consideration of all dilution mechanisms, study of their functional relationships, sensitivity analysis of outfall behavior, and graphical presentation of the results, allows recognition of patterns of practical importance that remain otherwise obscure. The generated graphs afford an overview of the relative performance of outfalls with a single port and perpendicular line diffusers over a broad range of operating conditions, and portray the sensitivity of the single-port outfall behavior. The results show that, contrary to common belief, outfalls with a single port outperform those with perpendicular line diffusers over a broad range of operating conditions. They also show that higher rather than lower current speed is the critical factor in the design of single-port outfalls. These findings affect the construction cost of outfall systems and bear a significant impact on the sizing of new outfalls as well as on the performance evaluation of existing ones.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Arceivala, S. J. (1981). Wastewater treatment and disposal, engineering and ecology in pollution control, Marcel Dekker, New York.
Baumgartner, D., Frick, W., and Roberts, P. (1994). “Dilution models for effluent discharges.” Rep. No. EPA/600/R-94/086, Pacific Ecosystems Branch, Newport, Ore.
Brooks, N. H. (1960). “Diffusion of sewage effluent in an ocean current.” Proc., 1st Int. Conf. on Waste Disposal in the Marine Environment, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Pergamon, New York, 246–267.
Chu, V. H.(1979). “L.N. fan’s data on buoyant jets in crossflow.” J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 105(5), 612–617.
Economopoulos, A. P. (1993). “Assessment of sources of air, water, and land pollution—a guide to rapid source inventory techniques and their use in formulating environmental control strategies.” Publication No. WHO/PEP/GETNET/93.1-A&B, Word Health Organization, Geneva.
Economopoulou, M. A., and Economopoulos, A. P.(1998). “Rapid sizing and performance evaluation of submarine outfalls with line diffusers.” J. Environ. Eng., 124(2), 138–145.
Economopoulou, M. A., and Economopoulos, A. P.(2001). “Graphical sizing and analysis of ocean outfalls with buoyant plumes.” J. Environ. Eng., 127(1), 3–12.
Frick, W. E., Roberts, P. J. W., Davis, L. R., Keyes, J., Baumgartner, D. J., and George, K. P. (2001). Dilution models for effluent discharges, 4th Ed., Visual Plumes, U.S. EPA, Environmental Research Division, Athens, Ga.
Gunnerson, C. G., and French, J. A., eds. (1996). Wastewater management for coastal cities, 2nd Ed., Springer, Berlin.
Lee, J. H. W., and Neville-Jones, P.(1987). “Initial dilution of horizontal jet in cross-flow.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 113(5), 615–629.
Muellenhoff, W. P., Soldate, A. M., Jr., Baumgartner, D. J., Schuldt, M. D., Davis, L. R., and Frick, W. E. (1985). “Initial mixing characteristics of municipal ocean discharges.” Rep. No. EPA/600/3-85/073, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
Roberts, P. J. W., Snyder, W. H., and Baumgartner, D. J.(1989a). “Ocean outfalls. I. Submerged wastefield formation.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 115(1), 1–25.
Roberts, P. J. W., Snyder, W. H., and Baumgartner, D. J.(1989b). “Ocean outfalls. II: Spatial evolution of submerged wastefield.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 115(1), 26–48.
Sharp, J. J.(1991). “Marine outfalls for small coastal communities in Atlantic Canada.” Can. J. Civ. Eng., 18, 388–396.
UNEP/World Health Organization (WHO). (1985). “Guidelines for the computations concerning marine outfall systems for liquid effluents.” Rep. No. UNEP/WG.125/8, Meeting of Experts on the Technical Implementation of the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-based Sources.
Wright, J. S.(1984). “Buoyant jets in density-stratified crossflow.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 110(5), 643–656.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 129 • Issue 2 • February 2003
Pages: 169 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 11, 2000
Accepted: Mar 18, 2002
Published online: Jan 15, 2003
Published in print: Feb 2003
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.