Experimental study of gas flow regime criteria in underwater gas-saturated liquid blowouts

Bafandeh, Maryam; Bidokhti, Abbas Ali Ali Akbar; Ezam, Mojtaba; Ghodsi Hasanabad, Majid; Allahyari Beyk, Sara

doi:10.22034/ijcoe.2026.586849.1247

Experimental study of gas flow regime criteria in underwater gas-saturated liquid blowouts

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

maryam bafandeh ¹

Abbas Ali Ali Akbar Bidokhti ²

Mojtaba Ezam ¹

Majid Ghodsi Hasanabad ³

Sara Allahyari Beyk ¹

¹ Department of Physical Oceanography, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/ijcoe.2026.586849.1247

Abstract

In a series of laboratory experiments, CO2-saturated freshwater at different volumetric gas to liquid ratios (GLR) and different flow momentums was injected at the bottom of square cross-section open-top basins filled with homogeneous saltwater as well as stratified saltwater. Flow visualization of the experiments and comparison of different criteria for discerning the gas flow regimes showed that Wallis (1969) critical velocity criterion and Payne and Prince (1975) modified Froude number criterion are more suitable to distinguish the gas flow regimes in gas-saturated liquid blowouts. The other evaluated criteria of modified Froude number, Reynolds number, and modified Weber number, overestimate the ratio of inertia and bubble destructive forces to breakup resisting forces in gas-saturated liquid blowouts. It seems that off-source rapid formation of a huge number concentration of minute bubbles in the zone of flow establishment and momentum-driven region decreases the inertia and bubble destructive forces in gas-saturated liquid blowouts when compared to bubbly jets of similar GLR and flow rates.

Keywords

Bubbly Jet

Multiphase Flow

Underwater Blowout

Oil and Gas blowout

Underwater Waste Disposal

Subjects