The behavior of a two-dimensional dual forced plume

The behavior of two plumes ejected into a thin water tank is investigated experimentally. As the time elapses, the plume axes deflect towards each other. Time evolution of this two-dimensional, dual forced plume is found to be similar to that of a two-dimensional, single plume ejected near a vertical wall. The symmetric plane of the two plumes in the former case plays the role of the vertical wall. The time required for the dual plume to attain a quasi-steady state is shorter than that for the single plume. The deflection angles of the plume axes are smaller for the dual plume, and the plume water remains near the free water surface in a quasi-steady state. Water circulation in a triangular region surrounded by the free water surface, the side of the plume and the symmetric plane (or the vertical wall for the single plume case) may account for this difference; the circulation is much more pronounced in the single plume case.     

Forward modeling and inversion of the relation model between the gas content of plume and its seismic attribute

The methane bubble plume attracts interest because it offers direct evidence of seafloor gas leakage and plays an indirect role in the exploration and identification of natural gas hydrate. In this study, based on established plume models and their migration sections, three amplitude-class attributes were extracted from three formations for the migration sections of five plumes, and the correlation between the gas content and seismic attribute was obtained. As the gas content increases, the amplitude attribute correspondingly increases, and the linear correlation is relatively good. Moreover, correlation coefficients between gas content and amplitude attributes are close to 1.0. By using linear fitting, the relation model between the gas content of the plume and the seismic attribute was obtained. The relation model was subsequently used to invert the gas content from a real data-bearing plume. Comparison of the gas content section of the plume with the attribute section and real seismic section reveals common distribution characteristics, namely, the color of the section in the lower right corner is dark. If the amplitude value is large in the seismic section of the real plume, the amplitude attribute value is also large in the corresponding attribute section, and the inverted value of the gas content is also large (because gas content and amplitude are linearly correlated), which indicates that the plume bubbles of the section in the lower right corner is intensively distributed. Finally, the obtained gas content section of the plume can reflect the distribution of the plume bubble content more simply and intuitively, from which the distribution law of seafloor bubbles can be deduced, and this lays a foundation for the further estimation of the gas content of the plume and hydrate reserves.     

Rock physics modeling for assessing gas hydrate and free gas: a case study in the Cascadia accretionary prism

We investigate the estimation of gas hydrate and free gas concentration using various rock physics models in the Cascadia accretionary prism, which is one of the most intensively studied regions of natural gas hydrate occurrences. Surface seismic reflection data is the most useful and cost-effective in deriving seismic velocity, and hence estimating gas hydrate and free gas across a BSR with depth, if a proper background (without gas hydrate and free gas) velocity is chosen. We have used effective medium theory of Helgerud et al. (EMTH) and, a combination of self-consistent approximation and differential effective medium (SCA-DEM) theory coupled with smoothing approximation for crystalline aggregate. Using the SCA-DEM (non-load-bearing) and EMTH (load-bearing) modeling, we calculate the average saturations of gas hydrate as 17 and 19%, respectively within ~100 m thick sedimentary column using velocity, derived from the surface seismic data. The saturations of gas hydrate are estimated as 15 and 18% using the SCA-DEM, and 20 and 25% using EMTH from the logging-while-drilling and wire-line sonic velocities, respectively. Estimations of gas hydrate from Poisson’s ratio are in average 50% for EMTH and 10% for SCA-DEM theory. We obtain the maximum saturation of free gas as 1–2% by employing the SCA-DEM theory either to seismic or sonic velocities, whereas the free-gas saturation varies between 0.1 and 0.4% for EMTH model. The gas hydrate saturation estimated from the sonic velocity and the free gas saturation derived from both the seismic and sonic velocities using the SCA-DEM modeling match quite well with those determined from the pressure core data in the study region.     

The hydroacoustic method for the quantification of the gas flux from a submersed bubble plume

This article presents an inverse hydroacoustic method for the remote quantification of the total gas flux transported from an underwater bubble plume. The method includes the surveying of the bubble plume by a vertically looking echo sounder and the calculation of the flux using the spatial distribution of the ultrasound backscattering at a fixed depth. A simplified parameterization containing only a few parameters is introduced to describe the empirical bubble size distribution. The linear correlation between the backscattering cross section of the bubble stream and the vertical gas flux is found. The calculation procedure takes into account the occurrence of a gas hydrate film at the bubble’s surface. The influence of different parameters on the accuracy of the method is investigated. The resolution volume of the echo sounder corresponding to the fixed distance is considered as a two-dimensional spatial window. The method was applied to quantify the total convective methane flux at the Haakon-Mosby mud volcano (HMMV) depth 1280 m. The calculated values of the total flux near the bottom (100–400 t/year) are in good agreement with the independently estimated flux for the single bubble jet observed from the ROV (70 t/year). These calculations also show significant temporal variability of the flux at the HMMV. The total flux was found to vary by about a factor of 2–3 within time scales of days.     

Prediction of drift in a free surface

An analytical model including the boundary-layer effect is developed to find the steady drift induced by the non-linear effect of the surface-wave motion. The analytical result is compared with the experimental results obtained from a wave tank. Results show a qualitative agreement. A semi-empirical formula which predicts drift velocity of a contaminant layer on the free surface is introduced and its validity is investigated.     

A new efficient finite volume modeling of small amplitude free surface flows with unstructured grid

A staggered finite-volume technique for non-hydrostatic, small amplitude free surface flow governed by the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations is presented there is a proper balance between accuracy and computing time. The advection and horizontal diffusion terms in the momentum equation are discretized by an integral interpolation method on the orthogonal unstructured staggered mesh and, while it has the attractive property of being conservative. The pressure-correction algorithm is employed for the non-hydrostatic pressure in order to achieve second-order temporal accuracy. A conservative scalar transport algorithm is also applied to discretize k-ε equations in this model. The eddy viscosity is calculated from the k-ε turbulent model. The resulting model is mass and momentum conservative. The model is verified by two examples to simulate unsteady small amplitude free surface flows where non-hydrostatic pressures have a considerable effect on the velocity field,and then applied to simulate the tidal flow in the Bohai Sea.     

Simplified CFD modeling for bilge keel force and hull pressure distribution on a rotating cylinder

A horizontal, circular cylinder fitted with one bilge keel is forced to rotate harmonically around its axis. The bilge keel load and hull pressure distribution are investigated. A fully submerged condition (infinite fluid), and three partly-submerged conditions are considered. A two-dimensional numerical study is performed, and the results are validated against recently published experimental data by van’t Veer et al. [30]. In addition, comparisons for mass and drag coefficients are also made with experimental data for plate in infinite fluid (Keulegan and Carpenter [8]), and wall-mounted plate (Sarpkaya and O’Keefe [9]) in oscillatory flow.A Navier–Stokes solver based on the Finite Volume Method is adopted for solving laminar flow of incompressible water. The free-surface condition is linearized by neglecting the nonlinear free-surface terms and the influence of viscous stresses in the free surface zone, while the body-boundary condition is exact. This simplified modeling of the problem required the mesh to be fine only around the bilge keels, leading to a total number of cells around N ≃ 1 ×10⁴, which reduced computational cost significantly.The influence of draft and amplitude of oscillations on the bilge keel force and hull pressure distribution are considered. The bilge keel force is presented in terms of non-dimensional drag and mass coefficients including higher harmonic components. The numerical results are also compared with the industry standard empirical method for calculation of roll damping proposed by Ikeda et al. [4]. In general, a good agreement between the results of the present numerical method and the experimental data is obtained and the differences with those predicted by the empirical method are addressed.     

The dynamic behavior of a gas bubble near a wall

In this paper, a numerical model based on the potential flow theory is established to simulate the interaction of a gas bubble with a nearby wall. The time-integration boundary integral method is used to solve the dynamics of a gas bubble. With this method the numerical calculations show an excellent agreement with the experimental data. Employing the numerical code based on the presented algorithm, the dynamics of a gas bubble close to a rigid wall is investigated systematically, especially the relationship between various characteristic parameters and the Bjerknes effect due to the presence of a nearby wall. It is found that Blake's criterion, which is usually used to predict the direction of the bubble jet, has a great degree of accuracy for the bubble relatively far away from the wall and bubble near a wall, there is a significant error, attributed to its simplifications and assumptions. Further studies show that an oblique jet will be formed when a bubble close to an inclined wall collapses, direction and width of which have a close relationship with the characteristic parameters used to characterize the bubble. For the bubble near a horizontal wall, a liquid jet pointing directly to the wall is developed generally when the Bjerknes attraction and buoyancy are in the same direction; and at the same time, if the Bjerknes attraction is in the opposite direction of buoyancy, the direction of the jet will depend on a criterion. Then the interaction of gas bubble between complicated walls of some a submarine is also studied, which shows the most dangerous induced loading condition of structure in water, and the evidently effects of bubble jet on loading. The special phenomena mentioned above have a great significance for the further study on the interaction of the bubble with its boundaries.     

Effect of free surface and strut on fins attached to a strut

An extensive experimental and computational investigation of the combined and separate effects of free surface and body on the lift characteristics of a pair of fins attached to a strut and fin alone is conducted. The results reveal that the free-surface effect becomes significant when the depth of submergence to chord ratio (H/c) is less than three. The effect of the strut is also realized for shallower depth of submergence of the fins through free-surface deformation leading to a significant change in the incidence angle of the flow to the fins. The numerical results based on the Higher Order Boundary Element Method with the linearized free-surface condition show good agreement with the experimental results for fin (foil) alone even at shallow submergence, but some discrepancies appear for the fin attached to the strut at higher speeds mostly due to the neglect of the nonlinear free-surface effect.     

Distribution of free gas in marine sediments: a global overview

To quantify the global distribution of free gas in shallow marine sediments, we have identified and indexed over 100 documented cases in the scientific and engineering literature. Our survey confirms previous assumptions, primarily that gas bubbles are ubiquitous in the organic-rich muds of coastal waters and shallow adjacent seas. Acoustic turbidity, as recorded during seismo-acoustic surveys, is the most frequently cited evidence used to infer the presence of seafloor gas. Biogenic methane predominates within these shallow subbottom deposits. Because of their global prevalence, growing interest in gassy marine sediments is understandable, as their presence can have profound scientific, engineering and environmental significance.     

Modelling of underwater bubble plumes and gas dissolution with an Eulerian-Lagrangian CFD model

Underwater bubble plumes emerge from subsea releases of gas. They can be studied by mathematical models. Here an Eulerian-Lagrangian CFD model is presented. It accounts for relevant physics including buoyancy, turbulence, gas expansion and gas dissolution. The model is compared against three sets of experiments. There is consistency between model and experiments. Special focus is given to the effect of gas dissolution. It is demonstrated how the choice of mass transfer coefficient strongly affects the amount of gas dissolution. Since it is not apparent which mass transfer correlation is applicable, it is argued that more experimental data is needed.     

Nonlinear wave resistance of a two-dimensional pressure patch moving on a free surface

A model problem of the flow under an air-cushion vessel is studied. Two different numerical techniques are used to determine the solution of the free-surface elevation and the wave resistance for a range of Froude number, Reynolds number, value of the pressure applied in the cushion, and depth of the water. The first numerical technique uses a velocity potential that satisfies linearized free-surface boundary conditions, whereas the second employs a finite-volume method to find a solution that satisfies the fully nonlinear free-surface boundary conditions. The results clearly show that for high Froude number and practical values of the cushion pressure, the linear-theory solution is in excellent agreement with the more exact nonlinear prediction. For lower Froude number the solution becomes unsteady, and the disagreement between the two methods is larger.     

Prediction of hydrodynamic loading on a mini TLP with free surface effects

This paper describes the extension of a fluid-flow simulations method to capture the free surface evolution around a full-scale Tension Leg Platform (TLP). The focus is on the prediction of the resulting hydrodynamic loading on the various elements of the TLP in turbulent flow conditions and, in particular, on quantifying the effects of the free surface distortion on this loading. The basic method uses finite-volume techniques to discretize the differential equations governing conservation of mass and momentum in three dimensions. The time-averaged forms of the equations are used, and the effects of turbulence are accounted for by using a two-equation, eddy-viscosity closure. The method is extended here via the incorporation of surface-tracking algorithm on a moving grid to predict the free-surface shape. The algorithm was checked against experimental measurements from two benchmark flows: the flow over a submerged semi-circular cylinder and the flow around a floating parabolic hull. Predictions of forces on a model TLP were then obtained both with and without allowing for the deformation of the free surface. The results suggest that the free surface effects on the hydrodynamic loads are small for the values of Froude number typically encountered in offshore engineering practice.     

Numerical calculation for the flow of submerged bodies under a free surface

The flow field generated by a Rankine body moving under a free surface in afinite-depth water is calculated by potential theory. Velocity field generated by a source located at the origin is calculated first by using highly efficient and adaptive quadratures of the QUADPACK library. This solution is used for generating the flow around a Rankine body by locating a source and an equal strength sink along the body axis. Results agree well with the existing literature.     

A numerical method for the solution of a line source under a free surface

A modified source-and-dipole type singularity panel method is proposed to calculate the flow properties for an oscillating arbitrary body in the presence of a free surface. The technique is based on Green's identity whereby the boundary value problem is expressed as a boundary integral equation which is solved numerically. The free-space Green function is used in the integral equation. To demonstrate the feasibility of the method, the problem of a pulsating submerged line source under a free surface is treated and results are compared with the exact solution.An excellent agreement with the theory is obtained for panel density of about ten panels per wavelength and paneled water surface length of two wavelengths with very low computing times, indicating the feasibility of the method for unsteady water wave problems.     

Numerical modeling of methane gas production from hydrate reservoir of Krishna Godhavari basin by depressurization

Natural gas hydrates are considered as a strategic unconventional clean hydrocarbon resource in the energy sector. This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal effectiveness of the depressurization technique for producing methane gas from an unconfined Class 4 clayey setting in the Krishna Godavari (KG) basin, east coast of India. The production potential of a well by depressurization based on the borehole-based pumping technique is modeled using the newly developed spatiotemporal numerical tool, IndHyd 1.0, built using MATLAB for a constant borehole ΔP. The model is aided by TOUGH+HYDRATE reservoir production simulation software. From the IndHyd 1.0 simulation results, it is identified that a vertical well in the location NGHP-01-10D could have a lateral well reach, longevity, and a cumulative methane gas production potential of 145?m, 1.2 years, and ～0.6 billion m³, respectively. For the formation with a postdissociation permeability of 200 mD, a possible scenario in the fractured settings, the well reach, longevity, and gas production potential could be 340?m, 3.6 years, and ～9 billion m³, respectively.     

The nutrient and trace metal geochemistry of a dredge plume

Field sampling of the dissolved and particulate material field downstream of a large volume bucket dredge operating in the lower Thames River estuary near New London, Connecticut, was conducted in order to examine the magnitude and character of the dredge-induced resuspension. These data indicate that large amounts of dissolved phosphate, ammonia, silica, manganese, copper and particulate materials are released into the water column, whereas cadmium concentrations were unaffected. Concentrations in the vicinity of the dredge exceed background levels by two to nine times for the dissolved materials and by two orders of magnitude for particulates. During the ebb cycle, downstream material concentrations decrease rapidly to background within approximately 180 m for dissolved materials and 700 m for particulates.Two mechanisms were found to control the distribution of materials downstream of the dredge: (a) physical transport, including advection, turbulent mixing and diffusion, and (b) geochemical processes (i.e. adsorption, desorption, precipitation, dissolution, etc.). The concentration of dissolved materials downstream of the dredge decrease at a first order exponential rate. The downstream distribution of the dissolved ammonia and silica was found to be consistent with the reactivity experiments (Figure 8) which predicted that PO₄ would undergo a decay in concentration in the presence of suspended sediments. Absorption of phosphate onto suspended sediments and gravitational settling of the suspended particulates were the processes. Manganese and copper underwent a dual transformation which involved an initial dissolution, followed by flocculation and possible coprecipitation as MnO₂. Cadmium concentrations in the water column were unaffected by the dredging process due to low pore water concentrations.The observed spatial distribution indicates that dredge-induced injection of dissolved and particulate materials is primarily a near field phenomenon producing relatively minor variations as compared to those caused by naturally occurring storm events. These latter systems have been shown (Tramontano, 1978; Bohlen et al., 1979) to produce estuary-wide variations in suspended materials, PO₄ and NH₄ concentrations increasing the mass of materials in suspension by at least a factor of two. This increase in total suspended load, PO₄ and NH₄, is nearly an order of magnitude larger than that produced by the dredge.     

二维自由面条件和辐射条件的数值模拟

在时域内对二维自由面条件和远方辐射条件进行数值模拟,自由面条件采用先积分后离散的处理方式,远方条件采用匹配积分方程的方法和透射理论的人工边界方法处理。分别计算了圆柱与水面直交和斜交时的水动力系数以及摇板造波问题的速度势,计算结果与文献值和理论值符合程度良好。     

Simulation of free surface flow around a VLCC hull using viscous and potential flow methods

Numerical simulations have been carried out to determine the incompressible free surface flow around a VLCC hull form for which experimental results are available. A commercial viscous flow finite volume code using the two-phase Eulerian–Eulerian fluid approach and a potential flow code based on the Rankine source method have been used in this study. The simulation conditions are the ones for which experimental results exist. The shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model has been used in the viscous flow code. A tetrahedral unstructured grid was used with the viscous flow code for meshing the computational domain, while quadrilateral structural patches were used with the potential flow code for meshing the VLCC hull surface and the water surface around it. The results compare well with the available experimental data and they allow an understanding of the differences that can be expected from viscous and potential flow methods as a result of their different mathematical formulations, which make their complementary application useful for determining the total ship resistance.     

Detection of free gas and gas hydrate based on 3D seismic data and cone penetration testing: An example from the Nigerian Continental Slope

We present a new method to characterize free gas, gas hydrates and carbonate concretions occurrence which are considered as high-risk factors for sub-sea developments in the Niger delta. This method is based on the combination of 3D seismic data to the geotechnical site characterizations using piezocone CPTU tests (Cone Penetration Test with additional measurement of the pore water pressure). A special processing of the 3D seismic data has enabled the determination of the interval compressional velocity. Using the effective-medium theory, velocity anomalies (negative and positive) within the first 15 m were translated in gas hydrate and free gas distribution. The calibration of the P wave velocity anomalies was done thanks to in-situ geotechnical testing carried out during two oceanographic surveys (2003 and 2004). Comparison between in-situ testing, recovered cores and the prediction of the gas and the gas hydrate distribution based on the compressional wave velocity have shown that 3D seismic data is a valuable tool to identify heterogeneous areas but the use of the piezocone was essential to discriminate between gas hydrate occurrences and carbonate concretions' presence. Furthermore, in-situ compressional wave velocity (V_p) measurements have clearly demonstrated what it was suspected from the 3D seismic data, the co-existence in the study area between gas hydrate and free gas.