Accurate and appropriate assessment of the dispersion and dilution of effluent is important when planning marine discharges. Environmental impact and engineering constraints must be considered. Studies carried out to support the design and planning processes usually involve computational models. Such computational models are relatively well validated for positively-buoyant discharges, due to the availability of field study and laboratory data. However, validation data for dense discharges is scarcer, particularly in the far-field, and so computational models are rarely fully validated for this type of discharge. As part of its continuous work to develop and validate computational modelling approaches, HR Wallingford has carried out validation work using newly available field data sets. This paper presents the results of initial validation work, implications for model studies, and the intended direction of future research
