Dynamics of rising CO2 bubble plumes in the QICS field experiment: Part 1 – The experiment

Sellami, Nazmi; Dewar, Marius; Stahl, Henrik; Chen, Baixin

Abstract

The dynamic characteristics of CO2 bubbles in Scottish seawater are investigated through observational data obtained from the QICS project. Images of the leaked CO2 bubble plume rising in the seawater were captured. This observation made it possible to discuss the dynamics of the CO2 bubbles in plumes leaked in seawater from the sediments. Utilising ImageJ, an image processing program, the underwater recorded videos were analysed to measure the size and velocity of the CO2 bubbles individually. It was found that most of the bubbles deform to non-spherical bubbles and the measured equivalent diameters of the CO2 bubbles observed near the sea bed are to be between 2 and 12 mm. The data processed from the videos showed that the velocities of 75% of the leaked CO2 bubbles in the plume are in the interval 25–40 cm/s with Reynolds numbers (Re) 500–3500, which are relatively higher than those of an individual bubble in quiescent water. The drag coefficient Cd is compared with numerous laboratory investigations, where agreement was found between the laboratory and the QICS experimental results with variations mainly due to the plume induced vertical velocity component of the seawater current and the interactions between the CO2 bubbles (breakup and coalescence). The breakup of the CO2 bubbles has been characterised and defined by Eötvös number, Eo, and Re.

Citation

Sellami, N., Dewar, M., Stahl, H., & Chen, B. (2015). Dynamics of rising CO2 bubble plumes in the QICS field experiment: Part 1 – The experiment. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 38, 44-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2015.02.011

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Mar 6, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015
• Deposit Date: Dec 12, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 13, 2021
• Journal: International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
• Print ISSN: 1750-5836
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 38
• Pages: 44-51
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2015.02.011
• Keywords: Carbon capture and storage, CO2 bubble, CO2 leakage, Drag coefficient, Video sequence analysis, Velocity-size distribution
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2818295