Interface topology and evolution of particle patterns on deformable drops in turbulence

The capture of neutrally buoyant, sub-Kolmogorov particles at the interface of deformable drops in turbulent flow and the subsequent evolution of particle surface distribution are investigated. Direct numerical simulation of turbulence, phase-field modelling of the drop interface dynamics and Lagrangian particle tracking are used. Particle distribution is obtained considering excluded-volume interactions, i.e. by enforcing particle collisions. Particles are initially dispersed in the carrier flow and are driven in time towards the surface of the drops by jet-like turbulent fluid motions. Once captured by the interfacial forces, particles disperse on the surface. Excluded-volume interactions bring particles into long-term trapping regions where the average surface velocity divergence sampled by the particles is zero. These regions correlate well with portions of the interface characterized by higher-than-mean curvature, indicating that modifications of the surface tension induced by the presence of very small particles will be stronger in the highly convex regions of the interface.

Compositions of dissolved organic matter in the ice-covered waters above the Aurora hydrothermal vent system, Gakkel Ridge, Arctic Ocean

Hydrothermal vents modify and displace subsurface dissolved organic matter (DOM) into the ocean. Once in the ocean, this DOM is transported together with elements, particles, dissolved gases, and biomass along with the neutrally buoyant plume layer. Considering the number and extent of actively venting hydrothermal sites in the oceans, their contribution to the oceanic DOM pool may be substantial. Here, we investigate the dynamics of DOM in relation to hydrothermal venting and related processes at the as-yet unexplored Aurora hydrothermal vent field within the ultraslow spreading Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean at 82.9° N. We examined the vertical distribution of DOM composition from sea ice to deep waters at six hydrocast stations distal to the active vent and its neutrally buoyant plume layer. In comparison to background seawater, we found that the DOM in waters directly affected by the hydrothermal plume was composed of lower numbers of molecular formulas and 5–10 % less abundant compositions associated with the molecular categories related to lipid and protein-like compounds. Samples that were not directly affected by the plume, on the other hand, were chemically more diverse and had a higher percentage of chemical formulas associated with the carbohydrate-like category. We suggest, therefore, that hydrothermal processes at Aurora may influence the DOM distribution in the bathypelagic ocean by spreading more thermally and/or chemically induced compositions, while DOM compositions in epipelagic and mesopelagic layers are mainly governed by the microbial carbon pump dynamics, and sea ice surface water interactions.

Swimming of a ludion in a stratified sea

We describe and model experimental results on the dynamics of a ‘ludion’ – a neutrally buoyant body – immersed in a layer of stably stratified salt water. By oscillating a piston inside a cylinder communicating with a narrow (in one of its horizontal dimensions) vessel containing the stably stratified layer of salt water, it is easy to periodically vary the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid. The ludion or Cartesian diver, initially positioned at its equilibrium height and free to move horizontally, can then oscillate vertically when forced by the pressure oscillations. Depending on the ratio of the forcing frequency to the Brunt–Väisälä frequency of the stratified fluid, the ludion can emit its own internal gravity waves that we measure by a classical particle image velocimetry technique. Our experimental results describe first the resonance of the vertical motions of the ludion when excited at different frequencies. A theoretical oscillator model is then derived taking into account added mass and added friction coefficients and its predictions are compared with the experimental data. Then, for the larger oscillation amplitudes, we observe and describe a bifurcation towards free horizontal motions. Although the internal gravity wave frequencies are affected by the Doppler shift induced by the horizontal displacement velocities, it seems that, contrary to surface waves associated with Couder walkers (Couder et al. Nature, vol. 437, 2005, p. 238) they are not the cause of the horizontal swimming. This does not, however, exclude possible interactions between the ludion and internal gravity waves and possible hydrodynamic quantum analogies to be explored in the future.

Numerical Performance Model for Tensioned Mooring Tidal Turbine Operating in Combined Wave-Current Sea States

This study proposes the design of a tidal turbine station keeping system based on the adoption of a tensioned mooring system. Damping is introduced to investigate its effect on the reduction in the peak load experienced by tidal turbines during their operational lives in high-energy wave–current environments. A neutrally buoyant turbine is supported using a tensioned cable-based mooring system, where tension is introduced using a buoy fully submersed in water. The loads on the turbine rotor blades and buoy are calculated using a wave and current-coupled model. A modelling algorithm is proposed based on inverted pendulums, which respond to various sea state conditions, to study the behaviour of the system as well as the loads on blades. The results indicate that the tensioned mooring system reduces the peak thrust on the turbine and validates the applicability of the model.

Burst pressure design of the cargo tank used in a novel large subsea freight-glider

This paper presents the burst pressure design of the cargo tank used in the University of Stavanger (UiS) Subsea Freight-Glider (USFG). The USFG is an innovative large underwater cargo glider drone that is 50 m long and has a DWT of 1500 ton. It uses variable-buoyancy propulsion instead of traditional propellers for movement. This is an extremely efficient propulsion method and allows the USFG to achieve an average energy consumption of less than 10 kW. Structural weight is a premium as the USFG is required to be neutrally buoyant in water. Therefore, the design of the cargo tank which is the largest component in the USFG needs to be optimal for minimal structural weight. One approach used in design optimisation is to utilise design codes and/or methods that are more precise and therefore allow for lower safety margins. This approach will be investigated in this paper for the burst pressure design of the cargo tank. The different parts of ASME BPVC codes will be compared. The sensitivity of the codes to changes in design parameters is also investigated. Lastly, some comments on the use of reliability methods to further optimise the design are also presented.

Incorporation of Neutrally Buoyant Proppants in Horizontal Unconventional Wells to Increase Propped Fracture Area Results for Substantially Improved Well Productivity and Economics

Hydraulic fracturing stimulation of unconventional wells employing large volumes of sand in low viscosity fluids provides propped fracture conductivity in less than 25% of the created fracture area, primarily because of poor sand transport mechanics. The remaining unpropped area is at best only marginally productive using the conventional sand/slickwater hydraulic fracturing process alone. Near-neutrally buoyant proppants (NBPs, ASG 1.055) have proven to be highly effective in accessing production from fracture area that is otherwise left unpropped. Fracture models illustrate the propped fracture area of designs incorporating NBPs is improved to over 85% of the created fracture area. Production simulations of typical slickwater and sand frac designs supplemented with NBPs at 3% by weight of sand distributed evenly throughout the slurry stages show cumulative production increases of 20% to greater than 50% compared to the large volume slickwater/sand treatments without NBPs. Efforts have been directed to justification of the incremental expense involved with the NBP applications and assessment of the associated value-added economic metrics, including the value of the realized incremental production vs. time, the payback time for recovery of the incremental costs, and Return on Investment (ROI). For example, in a 2018 trial of NBP wells in the Middle Bakken formation of North Dakota, the production uplift observed for NBP wells achieved payback of the incremental costs in an average of 26 days; the 1-year cumulative oil production of the NBP wells averaged 69,632 barrels greater than control wells, resulting in a 25% uplift compared to the offset control wells. The Year 1 Return on Investment (ROI) for the drilling and completion costs of the first Middle Bakken well with NBP was 97% versus 64% for the sand-only control wells. Controlled multi-stage horizontal completions of wells with sand-only have been evaluated against wells utilizing NBPs in the application have been executed within several unconventional plays, including the Permian and Williston basins. The performance of the NBP wells have consistently validated the production uplift predictions of the production simulation models. The case studies analyzed herein expand the economic assessment of the NBP stimulation designs by including production analyses quantitative comparison of Net Present Value, production decline rates, and projected EURs of the NBP wells and non-NBP offset wells.

Neutrally Buoyant Particle Migration in Poiseuille Flow Driven by Pulsatile Velocity

A neutrally buoyant circular particle migration in two-dimensional (2D) Poiseuille channel flow driven by pulsatile velocity is numerical studied by using immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method (IB-LBM). The effects of Reynolds number (25≤Re≤200) and blockage ratio (0.15≤k≤0.40) on particle migration driven by pulsatile and non-pulsatile velocity are all numerically investigated for comparison. The results show that, different from non-pulsatile cases, the particle will migrate back to channel centerline with underdamped oscillation during the time period with zero-velocity in pulsatile cases. The maximum lateral travel distance of the particle in one cycle of periodic motion will increase with increasing Re, while k has little impact. The quasi frequency of such oscillation has almost no business with Re and k. Moreover, Re plays an essential role in the damping ratio. Pulsatile flow field is ubiquitous in aorta and other arteries. This article is conducive to understanding nanoparticle migration in those arteries.

The slip velocity of nearly neutrally buoyant tracers for large-scale PIV

The behaviour of nearly neutrally buoyant tracers is studied by means of experiments with helium-filled soap bubbles and numerical simulations. The current models used for estimating the slip velocity of heavy micro particles and neutrally buoyant particles are reviewed and extended to include the effect of unsteady forces and particle Reynolds number. The particle motion is analysed via numerical simulations of a rectilinear oscillatory flow and in the flow around an airfoil within a particle flow parameter space that is typical of large-scale PIV experiments. An empirical relation is obtained that estimates the particle slip velocity, depending on the particle-to-fluid density ratio, the particle Reynolds number and frequency of the local flow fluctuations. The model developed is applied to assess the slip velocity of helium-filled soap bubbles in a large-scale experiment conducted at the German–Dutch wind (DNW) tunnels in the flow around an airfoil, with chord Reynolds numbers up to three millions. Furthermore, a procedure is proposed that can be used to retrieve the bubbles mean density and dispersion from measurements of mean velocity and fluctuations, respectively. Graphic abstract

Dynamics of a pair of neutrally buoyant circular particles with different sizes in a lid-driven square cavity

The solid particles with different sizes exist widely, like cell separation, food processing, water treatment, thus, investigating the motion of the solid particles with different sizes is important. This study investigates the motion of a pair of neutrally buoyant circular particles with different sizes in a lid-driven square cavity using the lattice Boltzmann method. The motion of the circular particles with different sizes and that of the circular particles with identical sizes are quite different. The steady trajectories of the circular particles with identical sizes are identical, which is not affected by the Reynolds number. Differently, the circular particles with different sizes orbit along different steady trajectories, namely, the steady trajectory of the small particle is closer to the walls of the square cavity, while that of the large particle shrinks toward the center of the square cavity, which may provide us a possible method to separate them. However, it is not always effective, if the Reynolds number is low, the velocity difference between the circular particles with different sizes is small, which may fail to separate them completely.