Hydrodynamic Classification of Submerged Multiport‐Diffuser Discharges

Abstract

Discharges into water bodies from submerged multiport diffusers are characterized by a variety of possible flow configurations, ranging from internally trapped layers in deep stratified environments to vertically fully mixed plumes under shallow conditions. The length‐scale classification for single‐port discharges in the companion paper is extended to submerged multiport configurations in arbitrary ambient conditions. The classification procedure defines 32 generic flow classes in three major categories: internally trapped flow in linear ambient stratification, buoyant flows in uniform ambient layers, and negatively buoyant flows in uniform ambient layers.