Numerical Modeling of the Mixing Process of Concentrated Brine Outfall in Shallow Water
Abstract: This study investigates the mixing and dispersion of concentrated brine discharged from a small seawater reverse osmosis plant along the Jeddah coast of the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia. MIKE 21 Spectral Wave and MIKE 3 Flow Model FM were applied to simulate wave conditions, hydrodynamic circulation, and salinity and temperature transport. The calibrated wave model achieved a correlation coefficient of 0.85, an RMSE of 0.28 m, and a bias of -0.009 m, while the hydrodynamic model achieved a current-speed correlation coefficient of 0.74, an RMSE of 0.089 m/s, and a bias of -0.03 m/s. Outfall depths of 7 m and 10 m were examined under calm, most frequent, and stronger wind conditions. For the 7 m outfall, the saline plume extended approximately 345 m under calm conditions, 298 m under the most frequent conditions, and 170 m under stronger forcing. Plume transport was predominantly southward under prevailing northerly and northwesterly winds. The 10 m outfall reduced nearshore salinity accumulation and achieved approximately 35.4% higher dilution at the outfall location compared with 7m configuration. The results demonstrate the value of three-dimensional modelling for evaluating brine dispersion and comparing outfall depths in shallow Red Sea coastal waters.
Keywords: Brine dispersion; Numerical modeling; Shallow coastal waters; MIKE 21/MIKE 3; Red Sea
How to Cite?: Ahmad M. Shamali, Ibraheem A. Qurban, Abdullah S. Al-Ghamdi, Mohamed Sh. El-Manadely, "Numerical Modeling of the Mixing Process of Concentrated Brine Outfall in Shallow Water", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1956-1976, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26927020234, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26927020234