Graphical Sizing and Analysis of Ocean Outfalls with Buoyant Plumes
This article has been corrected.
VIEW CORRECTIONPublication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 127, Issue 1
Abstract
A graphical model is developed that offers a convenient solution to wastewater disposal problems through submarine outfalls. The model is intended to perform preliminary analysis under worst-case dilution conditions for outfalls with line diffusers, currents from any direction, stratified or unstratified ambient, and submerged or surfacing plumes, and it is also valid for outfalls with single horizontal or vertical ports. The model is thus applicable for most outfall configurations and ambient conditions of practical interest. The model simultaneously considers three dilution mechanisms: initial dilution, dilution through dispersion, and effective dilution due to decay of nonconservative substances. This enables analysis of functional dependencies and grouping of model variables in a way that permits a generalized graphical solution. It also allows one to study the sensitivity of the overall dilution to current speeds and compare the relative performance of perpendicular and parallel line diffusers. The results showed that, contrary to what is widely believed, in most situations of practical interest, high rather than low current speeds are critical in outfall design and parallel rather than perpendicular line diffusers often deliver the best overall performance.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Arceivala, S. J. ( 1981). Wastewater treatment and disposal—Engineering and ecology in pollution control, Marcel Dekker, New York.
2.
Baumgartner, D. J., Frick, W. E., and Roberts, P. J. W. ( 1994). “Dilution models for effluent discharges.” Rep. EPA/600/R-93/139, 3rd Ed., U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C.
3.
Brooks, N. H. ( 1960). “Diffusion of sewage effluent in an ocean current.” Proc., 1st Int. Conf. on Waste Disposal in the Marine Envir., Pergamon, Tarrytown, N.Y.
4.
Chu, V. H. (1979). “L. N. Fan's data on buoyant jets in crossflow.”J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 105(5), 612–617.
5.
Doneker, R. L., Jirka, G. H., Akar, P. J., Jones, G. R., and Nash, J. ( 1999). CORMIX-GI: Cornell mixing zone expert system, version 4.03, Oregon Graduate Institute, Portland, Oreg.
6.
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.” WHO/PEP/ GETNET/93.1-A&B, World Health Organization, Geneva.
7.
Economopoulos, A. P. ( 1996). “A rapid approach to rational water pollution control strategies.” Envir. Monitoring and Assessment, 43, 49–64.
8.
Economopoulou, M. A., and Economopoulos, A. P. (1998). “Rapid sizing and performance evaluation of submarine outfalls with line diffusers.”J. Envir. Engrg., ASCE, 124(2), 138–145.
9.
Frick, W. E., Roberts, P. J. W., Davis, L. R., Keyes, J., Baumgartner, D. J., and George, K. P. ( 2000). PLUMES, 4th Ed. for Windows, Draft, U.S. EPA, Ecosystems Research Division, Athens, Ga.
10.
Gunnerson, C. G., and French, J. A., eds. ( 1996). Wastewater management for coastal cities: The ocean disposal option, 2nd Ed., Springer, Berlin.
11.
Lee, J. H. W., and Neville-Jones, P. (1987). “Initial dilution of horizontal jet in cross-flow.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 113(5), 615–629.
12.
Mancini, J. ( 1978). “Numerical estimates of coliform mortality rates under various conditions.” J. Water Pollution Control Fedn.
13.
Muellenhoff, W. P., and 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. EPA/600/3-85/073, U.S. EPA, Washington, D.C.
14.
Pearson, E. A. ( 1956). “An investigation of the efficacy of submarine outfall disposal of sewage and sludge.” Publ. 14, State Water Pollution Control Board, Sacramento, Calif.
15.
Roberts, P. J. W. (1979). “Line plume and ocean outfall dispersion.”J. Hydr. Div., ASCE, 105(4), 313–331.
16.
Roberts, P. J. W. (1999). “Modeling the Mamala Bay outfall plumes. II: Far field.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 125(6), 574–583.
17.
Roberts, P. J. W., Snyder, W. H., and Baumgartner, D. J. (1989a). “Ocean outfalls. I: Submerged wastefield formation.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 115(1), 1), 1–25.
18.
Roberts, P. J. W., Snyder, W. H., and Baumgartner, D. J. (1989a). “Ocean outfalls. II: Spatial evolution of submerged wastefield.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 115(1), 26–48.
19.
Sharp, J. J. ( 1991). “Marine outfalls for small coastal communities in Atlantic Canada.” Can. J. Civ. Engrg., Ottawa, 18, 388–396.
20.
Tchobanoglous, G., and Burton, F. L. ( 1991). Wastewater engineering: Treatment, disposal and reuse, McGraw-Hill, New York.
21.
United Nations EP/World Health Organization (UNEP/WHO). ( 1982). “Waste discharge into the marine environment, principles and guidelines for the Mediterranean Action Plan.” ISBN 0-08-026194-9, Pergamon, Tarrytown, N.Y.
22.
United Nations EP/World Health Organization (UNEP/WHO). ( 1985). “Guidelines for the computations concerning marine outfall systems for liquid effluents.” UNEP/WG.125/8.
23.
Wright, S. J. (1984). “Buoyant jets in density-stratified crossflow.”J. Hydr. Engrg., ASCE, 110(5), 643–656.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 127 • Issue 1 • January 2001
Pages: 3 - 12
History
Received: Dec 6, 1999
Published online: Jan 1, 2001
Published in print: Jan 2001
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.