OpenFOAM-ROMS nested model for coastal flow and outfall assessment

Abstract

Knowing the behaviour and mixing of the effluent is essential to assess environmental impact, improve the design of the outfall and determine activities related to coastal management. In this study, a one-way nested OpenFOAM to ROMS model for sea flow and coastal outfalls modelling is presented. Furthermore, a methodology that combines fluid salinity and temperature into a single variable, i.e. phase, is proposed to reduce the number of equations needed to realistically model coastal outfalls. Following a rigorous grid convergence analysis, the model is validated with experimental data from previous literature and implemented on a realistic case with different flow conditions. The proposed model shows to be in acceptable agreement for all investigated examples.