Work

Evaluation of multiport diffuser configurations for desalination brine discharge along the Makran coast, Gulf of Oman

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The accelerated deployment of giga-scale seawater desalination plants has increased the environmental importance of sustainable brine disposal, particularly in coastal regions where hydrodynamic conditions govern plume transport and ecological exposure. This study evaluates a proposed SWRO brine outfall in the Gishab coastal region of the northern Gulf of Oman, southeastern Iran, using the CORMIX expert system (Version 11) to develop a site-specific diffuser-design optimization framework. Near-field plume behavior was assessed under variations in discharge depth, ambient current velocity, diffuser orientation, and port arrangement. The simulations showed that discharge depth strongly controlled plume behavior: the 5 m configuration exhibited undesirable surface interaction, whereas increasing the depth to 8 m maintained complete plume submergence and improved near-field performance. Ambient currents increased mixing and dilution, while the alternating-port configuration caused jet interaction, recirculation, and local salinity buildup. A co-directional multi-port diffuser installed at 8 m water depth and about 325 m offshore kept the predicted salinity increase within the adopted environmental criterion under minimum, average, maximum, and slack-water conditions. It also prevented the brine plume from reaching the surface and reduced the risk of recirculation toward the intake. Theresults indicated that diffuser depth and port arrangement should be evaluated together with site-specific hydrodynamic forcing. Integrating steady-state CORMIX near-field modeling with comparative diffuser optimization provides an engineering framework for environmentally responsible marine outfall design for large-scale SWRO facilities.

Source: Desalination and Water Treatment

DOI: 10.1016/j.dwt.2026.102000

Authors: Ali Sheykhbahaei, Mehrnaz Farzingohar, Mojtab Zoljoodi, Majid Abbaspour

Institutions: Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science, University of Hormozgan, Research Institute of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science, Sharif University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Aquatic and Environmental Studies

Subfield: Earth-Surface Processes

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Life below water, Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,000