The goal of Mixr is to deliver a verified COMSOL model and a test fixture for Ecomerit Technologies, allowing Ecomerit to prove that the ocean-borne desalination plant they are developing will conform to government regulations, as stated in the California Ocean Board.

The COMSOL portion of this project quantifies the scale and persistence of outflows from a desalination vessel under various diffusion strategies, with references to physical tests. COMSOL is driven by two models- a simple one to verify that the physics are correct and a more complex model characterizing the desalination vessel’s outflow in the mixing zone of elevated salinity.

The test fixture provides salinity profiles that simulate brine mixing due to natural phenomena. Collecting data from well-conceived experiments is integral in verifying the accuracy of the COMSOL model. These results not only assist Ecomerit Technologies in gaining permits from governmental agencies but also prove the proposed desalination vessel will fall within the guidelines specified for Central and Southern California.