Numerical modeling approach of an OTEC thermal discharges in coastal waters of Kosrae, Micronesia

Abstract

In this study we try to identify the mixing and dispersion characteristics of thermal discharges in coastal waters of Kosrae, Micronesia to consider their physical properties using a field observation and a three-dimensional numerical modeling with FVCOM (Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model). A FVCOM and HYCOM (Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model) data was used to predict the plume behavior of thermal discharges in coastal waters of Kosrae, Micronesia. The elevation, current, temperature and salinity boundary conditions on the open boundary and thermal effluents at the specific boundary are considered in this study. Various turbulence models have been applied in the numerical model to assess the accuracy of turbulence models in predicting the effluent discharges in OTEC outfalls. The model successfully reproduced well known the plume behavior in coastal waters of Kosrae, Micronesia. These works illustrate the challenging nature of OTEC environmental studies. Copyright ？ 2014 by the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE).