A numerical study to assess the effect of desalination plant location in Kuwait Bay
Altaf Taqi, Yousef Al-osairi, Tanuspong Pokavanich
Wednesday 1 july 2015
9:30 - 9:45h
at Antarctica (level 0)
Themes: (T) Hydro-environment, (ST) Ecohydraulics and ecohydrology, (T) Special session, (ST) Marine outfall system
Parallel session: 8D: Special Session: Marine Outfall System
The study was focused on the location of the desalination plants and how this would effect the effluent dispersion to the receiving waters. The study was completed with the aid of a two dimensional numerical model. The model was validated using the field measurements of water level, velocity, salinity and temperature. This model was utilized to assess the scenario of alternating the current Doha and Subiyah plants to some other locations within the bay by including numerical tracers injected with the discharged plume. The results have shown that the Bay is very sensitive with regard to the location of the desalination plants outfalls. In particular, semi-enclosed embayments within Kuwait Bay are significantly affected by the discharged plume. This is mainly due to the low energetic waters at the inner parts of the Kuwait Bay. The assessment has also shown that the Kuwait Bay follows two main dynamic regimes: first, in the northern regions where the effluent is mainly advected towards the mouth of the bay with minimal dilution by the residual currents; second, at the southern regions of the Kuwait Bay where trapping plays a key role in building up the concentration of the tracer.
