OTEC thermal dispersion in coastal waters of Tarawa, Kiribati

In this study we try to identify the thermal dispersion characteristics of coastal waters to consider their physical properties using a field observation and a three-dimensional numerical modeling with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics). A plume model and observed CTD data was used to predict the mixing behavior of thermal discharges in coastal waters of Tarawa, Kiribati. 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 submerged outfalls. Finite Volume Method is a useful tool for the understanding the plume behavior of thermal effluent from an OTEC outfall and for determining the location that best minimizes its impact upon the coastal waters of Tarawa, Kiribati. The mixing characteristics of an OTEC thermal discharges show well the three-dimensional circulation and thermal effluents effect to the flux of thermal discharges. These works illustrate the challenging nature of OTEC environmental studies.