Diffusive dispersion of natural gas hydrates in ocean sediments

A mathematical model of the process of dissolving and dispersion of natural methane hydrates in ocean sediments is proposed. A condition which must be satisfied on the solution boundary of the hydrates in the region of their stable thermodynamic state is derived. The calculated solution rates are several centimeters per year. It is shown that the temperature perturbations initiated by the transition of a gas from the hydrate into the dissolved state are small and the process can be considered isothermal. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 170–173, January–February, 1999. The work was carried out with financial support from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 96-01-00521).     

Effect of decomposition of a gas hydrate on the gas recovery from a reservoir containing hydrate and gas in the free state

The problem of gas recovery in the process of methane hydrate dissociation in a reservoir saturated with gas-hydrate mixture is considered. The mathematical model of hydrate decomposition into gas and water is generalized to include the negative temperature interval and takes ice formation into account. The solution of the problem is represented in the self-similar approximation. It is shown that there exists a transition hydrate decomposition regime in which water and ice are formed simultaneously. A comparative analysis of the recovery is carried out on the basis of relations derived for the masses of recovered gas in different hydrate dissociation regimes. It is shown that an anomalous increase in the recovered gas volumes is observed in the transition hydrate dissociation regime.__________Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Academii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, 2005, pp. 132–142. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Tsypkin.     

Mathematical model of the dissociation of gas hydrates coexisting with ice in natural reservoirs

The dissociation of gas hydrate coexisting with ice in a low-temperature natural reservoir is investigated. A mathematical model of the process consisting of a generalization of the Stefan problem and containing two unknown moving phase transition boundaries — the hydrate dissociation and ice melting fronts — is constructed. It is shown that in high-permeability reservoirs the velocity of the dissociation surface is higher than that of the ice melting surface. As the permeability decreases, the fronts change places. The problem is solved in the self-similar approximation.Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No.2, pp. 84–92, March–April, 1993.     

The Experimental and Numerical Studies on Gas Production from Hydrate Reservoir by Depressurization

A set of experimental system to study hydrate dissociation in porous media is built and some experiments on hydrate dissociation by depressurization are carried out. A mathematical model is developed to simulate the hydrate dissociation by depressurization in hydrate-bearing porous media. The model can be used to analyze the effects of the flow of multiphase fluids, the kinetic process and endothermic process of hydrate dissociation, ice-water phase equilibrium, the variation of permeability, convection and conduction on the hydrate dissociation, and gas and water productions. The numerical results agree well with the experimental results, which validate our mathematical model. For a 3-D hydrate reservoir of Class 3, the evolutions of pressure, temperature, and saturations are elucidated and the effects of some main parameters on gas and water rates are analyzed. Numerical results show that gas can be produced effectively from hydrate reservoir in the first stage of depressurization. Then, methods such as thermal stimulation or inhibitor injection should be considered due to the energy deficiency of formation energy. The numerical results for 3-D hydrate reservoir of Class 1 show that the overlying gas hydrate zone can apparently enhance gas rate and prolong life span of gas reservoir.     

Self-similar problem of decomposition of gas hydrates in a porous medium upon depression and heating

We consider the specifics of decomposition of gas hydrates under thermal and depressive action on a porous medium completely filled with a solid hydrate in the initial condition. The existence of volumetric-expansion zones, in which the hydrate coexists in equilibrium with water and gas, is shown to be possible in high-permeable porous media. The self-similar problems of hydrate decomposition upon depression and heating are studied. Ii is shown that there are solutions according to which hydrate decomposition can occur both on the surface of phase transitions and in the volumetric region. We note that, in the first case, decomposition is possible without heat supply to a medium and even with heat removal. Institute of Mechanics of Multiphase Systems, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tyumen' 625000. Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 111–118, May–June, 1998.     

Mathematical modeling of gas desorption from a gas hydrate

In gas-gashydrate reservoirs the gas is in the free and bound states. The amount of gas bound in the hydrate depends on the thermodynamic conditions. Therefore, when these conditions are varied it is possible for gas to be released from the hydrate in the desorption regime up to total dissociation of the hydrate into gas and water. Below, the problem of extraction of free and bound gas in the desorption regime is considered.Ufa. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 5, pp. 118–125, September–October, 1996.     

Mathematical simulation of gas cloud motion following the atmospheric explosion of a meteoroid

The gasdynamic consequences of the explosion of a meteoroid in a dense atmosphere are studied. The gas motion is simulated on the basis of a high-accuracy numerical method using adaptive movable networks. Some effects which could not be reproduced using coarser networks are revealed. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 29–37, January–February, 1998. The study was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 96-01-00448).     

Internal waves induced by potential vortices

A linearized equation of the internal waves developing in an ideal stratified gas under the action of potential vortices concentrated in a vertical cylinder is obtained. The Cauchy problem for the internal wave equation with right side depending on the vortex intensity is solved by the integral transform method. In the case of a vortex filament the exact solution is found. Approximate formulas are obtained on the basis of the steady-phase method when the vorticity is exponentially stratified along the vertical. Expressions for the phase velocity and amplitude of the radial wave traveling away from the cylindrical vortex are found. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 118–123, January–February, 1998. The work was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 96-01-04599).     

Effect of liquid phase mobility on gas hydrate dissociation in reservoirs

Boundary conditions on the dissociation surface that take the motion of the liquid phase into account are derived. An analytic solution of the problem is obtained for small deviations from the initial state. The integral characteristic of the phase transitions in the extended zone is introduced and represented analytically. It is shown that for high initial values of the hydrate and water saturations the mobility of the liquid phase must be taken into account. For media with high permeability the amount of gas hydrate dissociated in the volume phase transition zone exceeds by several orders the amount of hydrate decomposed in the total dissociation zone.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 105–114, July–August, 1991.     

Analysis of the thrust characteristics of jet nozzles designed by various methods

A comparative numerical analysis of the thrust characteristics of axisymmetric jet nozzles designed by various methods is carried out. “Extremal“ nozzles designed by variational methods in the absence/presence of internal shocks (I), so-called “truncated“ nozzles with a uniform characteristic (II), and nozzles designed by the method of conjugate circular arcs (III) are considered. A comparison is carried out for both perfect and real gases (in the latter case the boundary layer gas viscosity is taken into account). It is shown that extremal nozzles are the most efficient, while truncated nozzles are somewhat less so. The thrust characteristics of nozzles designed by the method of conjugate circular arcs for both inviscid and viscous flow are inferior to those of extremal nozzles by 0.7–1%. Moscow, Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 152–162, January–February, 2000. The research was carried out with financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 99-01-00891).     

Optimum clearance of a gas hydrostatic thrust bearing with maximum load capacity

The optimum design of a gas hydrostatic thrust bearing clearance is obtained using the methods of calculus of variations. The variational problem of determining the clearance shape giving the maximum load capacity is solved for a given external pressurization and various journal speeds. The structure of the optimum solution is found on the basis of the gas lubrication approximation with and without constraints on the height of the bearing pad (pocket). The calculation results embrace all possible values of the parameters. A comparison with optimum liquid bearings is carried out. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 68–78, July–August, 2000. The work was carried out with support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (projects Nos. 99-01-01211 and 96-15-96158).     

Properties of the nonequilibrium high-velocity “Tails” of the molecular distribution function in plane couette flow of a compressible gas

The results of an analytic and numerical investigation of the properties of the high-velocity “tails” of the distribution function are given for the solution of the BGK model of the kinetic Boltzmann equation for plane Couette flow of a compressible gas. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 183–190, July–August, 1998. The work was carried out with financial support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 96-01-00573; grant in support of leading science schools No. 96-15-9603).     

Formation of a gas hydrate due to injection of a cold gas into a porous reservoir partly saturated by water

Specific features of formation of gas hydrates due to injection of a gas into a porous medium initially filled by a gas and water are considered. Self-similar solutions of an axisymmetric problem, which describe the distributions of the basic parameters in the reservoir, are constructed. The existence of solutions is demonstrated, which predict gas hydrate formation both on the frontal surface and in the volume zone. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 137–150, May–June, 2008.     

One-dimensional mathematical model of the combustion chamber of a hydrogen/air hypersonic ramjet

A mathematical model of the supersonic combustion chamber of a hydrogen/air hypersonic ramjet is proposed. The model is developed on the basis of a “burn-out curve”, that is, the dependence of the combustion efficiency on the longitudinal coordinate and the design features of the chamber. The burn-out curve, which describes the mixing and burning of hydrogen and air, is assumed to be known from previous numerical and experimental studies of these processes under supersonic flow conditions. Other physical and chemical processes which take place in the combustion chamber, such as excitation of internal molecular degrees of freedom, hydrogen and oxygen dissociation, OH and NO formation, etc., are assumed to be equilibrium. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 146–154, January–February, 1997. The work was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 93-013-17514).     

Nonequilibrium thermal dissociation of diatomic molecules with VV,VT, and VT′ exchanges

Nonequilibrium dissociation in a mixture of anharmonic oscillators — molecules of a diatomic gas and its atoms — is investigated with allowance for the temperature gradient in the boundary layer. The effect of VT, VV, and VT′ exchanges on the dissociation rate is considered, and the nonequilibrium correction to the macroscopic reaction rate, which depends, in particular, on the temperature gradient and degree of dissociation, is determined. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No.1, pp. 171–179, January–February, 1994.     

Processes of hydrate formation and dissolution behind a shock wave in a liquid containing gas bubbles (mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide)

The processes of dissolution and hydrate formation behind a moderate-amplitude shock wave in water containing gas bubbles (mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide) are studied in experiments with different initial static pressures in the medium and concentrations of carbon dioxide in bubbles. An increase in static pressure in the gas-liquid medium is demonstrated to enhance the influence of the non-reacting gas (nitrogen) on the processes of dissolution and hydrate formation. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 178–187, March–April, 2009.     

Gas injection from the surface of a triangular plate in a hypersonic flow

The flow formed as a result of gas injection through the permeable surface of a triangular plate is investigated in the regime of strong viscous-inviscid interaction between the hypersonic flow and the laminar boundary layer. The features of the flow past strongly cooled surfaces with the formation of supercritical and subcritical flow regions in the boundary layer are studied. The injected gas distribution ensuring the existence of self-similar solutions in the supercritical flow regions is obtained. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 1, pp. 125–133, January–February, 2000. The study was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 96-01-01391).     

Supersonic flow deceleration in plane and axisymmetric channels

Supersonic perfect gas flow in plane and axisymmetric channels with the same duct contour is studied on the basis of a numerical solution of the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes and Euler equations. The calculations were carried out at an inlet Mach number M_∞=4 for various Reynolds numbers and “bell-mouth“ half-angles. The effect of these parameters, as well as that of the flow three-dimensionality, on the flow pattern is demonstrated. In particular, the existence of viscous flow regimes providing the most effective supersonic flow deceleration and a higher degree of total pressure recovery as compared with the inviscid flow is established. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 2, pp. 143–152, March–April, 1998. The study was carried out with the support of the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 95-01-01129a).     

Determining equations of two-phase flows through anisotropic porous media

A new interpretation of the concept of relative phase permeability is given. Relative phase permeabilities are represented in the form of fourth-rank tensors. It is shown that in the case of anisotropic porous media functions depending not only on the saturation but also on the anisotropy parameters represented in the form of ratios of the principal values of the absolute permeability coefficient tensor correspond to the classical representation of the relative phase permeabilities. For a two-phase flow in anisotropic porous media with orthotropic and transversely-isotropic symmetry a generalized two-term Darcy’s law is analyzed. Moscow. Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 2, pp. 87–94, March–April, 1998. The work was carried out with support from the Russian Foundation for Fundamental Research (project No. 96-01-00623).     

The simulation of gas production from oceanic gas hydrate reservoir by the combination of ocean surface warm water flooding with depressurization

A new method is proposed to produce gas from oceanic gas hydrate reservoir by combining the ocean surface warm water flooding with depressurization which can efficiently utilize the synthetic effects of thermal, salt and depressurization on gas hydrate dissociation. The method has the advantage of high efficiency, low cost and enhanced safety. Based on the proposed conceptual method, the physical and mathematical models are established, in which the effects of the flow of multiphase fluid, the kinetic process of hydrate dissociation, the endothermic process of hydrate dissociation, ice-water phase equilibrium, salt inhibition, dispersion, convection and conduction on the hydrate dissociation and gas and water production are considered. The gas and water rates, formation pressure for the combination method are compared with that of the single depressurization, which is referred to the method in which only depressurization is used. The results show that the combination method can remedy the deficiency of individual producing methods. It has the advantage of longer stable period of high gas rate than the single depressurization. It can also reduce the geologic hazard caused by the formation deformation due to the maintaining of the formation pressure by injected ocean warm water.