This study examines numericaIly the fate of cooled ocean water discharged into the coastal oceano The ocean water wiIl eventuaIly be used to warm up petroleum liquid gas during transference ftom ship tanks to land tanks, being cooled during the processo The reftigerated water wiIl then be released verticaIly through a single port located at 2 meters below the surface in 15 m of water. The proposed operations wiIl take place at the São Sebastião Channellocated between the continent and the São Sebastião Island, at about 23º48'S, 045º22'W. Estimated mean temperature differences between the eflluent and the recipient sea water wiIl be at most 3ºC. The problem is treated by analogy to an upside-down (buoyant) thermal discharge using established initial mixing models developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. During summer, when ambient stratification is high, the eflluent plume is evanescent: it reaches the bottom with a temperature greater than the ambient, bounces back towards the surface and reaches equilibrium 10m below the surface. During winter, on the other hand, the plume is bottom confined: it reaches the bottom with a temperature slightly lower than the ambient, remaining at that level. Model results also show that for any ambient ocean conditions the mixing time scale is of order of minutes and the final plume concentration obtained by mixing is smaIler than 10%.
Dispersion; Reftigerated water; São Sebastião Channel; Thermal impact; Thermal plume; Negative buoyancy; Buoyant discharge