Application of a three dimensional model for the prediction of pollutant dispersion in Cyprus coastal waters
A recently developed numerical model for environmental flows has been applied to simulate the water circulation and pollutant dispersion in a confined coastal system in Cyprus. The model is based on the numerical solution of the time averaged Navier-Stokes equations, written in their contravariant strong conservation form, in a generalised non-orthogonal coordinate system. The model predictions are verified compared with experimental data incorporating radioactive tracer injection at the surface of the sea, then the model is applied to predict the dispersion of waste from the outfall pipe of a sewage treatment plant. The predicted results agree favourably with the measurements, demonstrating the code's validity, flexibility and economy for predicting accurately flows in three-dimensional complex sea bed terrain basins. The utilisation of such a model can be an advantageous alternative to the expensive and time consuming experimental field work, enabling the study of the plume dispersion under different discharge and hydrological prevailing conditions.