Hydrodynamic Classification of Submerged Multiport‐Diffuser Discharges

Discharges into water bodies from submerged multiport diffusers are characterized by a variety of possible flow configurations, ranging from internally trapped layers in deep stratified environments to vertically fully mixed plumes under shallow conditions. The length-scale classification for single-port discharges in the companion paper is extended to submerged multiport configurations in arbitrary ambient conditions. The classification procedure defines 32 generic flow classes in three major categories: internally trapped flow in linear ambient stratification, buoyant flows in uniform ambient layers, and negatively buoyant flows in uniform ambient layers.