Gas-dynamic signs of explosive eruptions of volcanoes. 2. Model of homogeneous-heterogeneous nucleation. Specific features of destruction of the cavitating magma

The dynamics of state of the crystallite-containing magma is studied within the framework of the gas-dynamic model of bubble cavitation. The effect of crystallites on flow evolution is considered for two cases: where the crystallites are cavitation nuclei (homogeneous-heterogeneous nucleation model) and where large clusters of crystallites are formed in the magma in the period between eruptions. In the first case, decompression jumps are demonstrated to arise as early as in the wave precursor; the intensity of these jumps turns out to be sufficient to form a series of discrete zones of nucleation ahead of the front of the main decompression wave. Results of experimental modeling of an explosive eruption with ejection of crystallite clusters (magmatic “bombs”) suggest that a cocurrent flow of the cavitating magma with dynamically varying properties (mean density and viscosity) transforms to an independent unsteady flow whose velocity is greater than the magma flow velocity. Experimental results on modeling the flow structure during the eruption show that coalescence of bubbles in the flow leads to the formation of spatial “slugs” consisting of the gas and particles. This process is analyzed within a combined nucleation model including the two-phase Iordansky-Kogarko-van Wijngaarden model and the model of the “frozen” field of mass velocities in the cavitation zone. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 50, No. 2, pp. 167–177, March–April, 2009.     

Opening of a system of cracks—on the mechanism of the cyclic lateral eruption of the St. Helens volcano in 1980

The dynamic behavior of a magma melt filling a slot channel (crack) in a closed explosive hydrodynamic structure is considered. The explosive hydrodynamic structure includes the volcano focal point with a connected vertical channel (conduit) closed by a slug and a system of internal cracks (dikes) near the dome, as well as a crater open into the atmosphere. A two-dimensional model of a slot eruption is constructed with the use of the Iordanskii–Kogarko–van Wijngaarden mathematical model of two-phase media and the kinetics that describes the basic physical processes in a heavy magma saturated by the gas behind the decompression wave front. A numerical scheme is developed for analyzing the influence of the boundary conditions on the conduit walls and scale factors on the melt flow structure, the role of viscosity in static modes, and dynamic formulations with allowance for diffusion processes and increasing (by several orders of magnitude) viscosity. Results of the numerical analysis of the initial stage of cavitation process evolution are discussed.     

Nucleation and growth of a gas bubble in magma

The dynamics of a “collective” gas bubble in the magma melt during its decompression was numerically studied on the basis of a complete mathematical models of an explosive volcanic eruption. It is shown that the bubble size distribution obtained for the nucleation process has one peak, which allows considering a “collective” bubble. The main stages of bubble growth due to gas diffusion and changes in the viscosity of the medium are determined. It is shown that the high viscosity of the melt makes possible the transition from the Rayleigh equation to a simpler relation for the radial velocity of the bubble.     

Gas-dynamic signs of explosive eruptions of volcanoes. 1. Hydrodynamic analogs of the pre-explosion state of volcanoes, dynamics of the three-phase magma state in decompression waves

Experimental data and results of numerical simulations of the magma state dynamics in explosive eruptions of volcanoes are presented. The pre-explosion state of volcanoes and the cavitation processes developed in the magma under explosive decompression are studied under the assumption that the intensity of explosive volcanoes does not exert any significant effect on the eruption mechanisms. In terms of the structural features of the pre-explosion state, a number of explosive volcanic systems are close to hydrodynamic shock-tube schemes proposed by Glass and Heuckroth. High-velocity processes initiated by shock-wave loading of the liquid may be considered as analogs of natural volcanic processes, which have common gas-dynamic features and common kinetics responsible for their mechanisms, regardless of the eruption intensity. __________ Translated from Prikladnaya Mekhanika i Tekhnicheskaya Fizika, Vol. 49, No. 6, pp. 3–12, November–December, 2008.     

Initial Stage of Modeling of the Magma State in a Slot Volcano with a Finite Velocity of Diaphragm Opening

Results of a numerical analysis of the dynamic behavior of a compressed magma melt in a slot channel with gradual opening of the diaphragm and results of simulations of its time evolution are reported. The Iordanskii–Kogarko–van Vijngaarden mathematical model of a twophase medium and a model that describes phase changes in the gas-saturated plasma behind the front of the decompression wave being formed are used. Results of numerical simulations of the flow with allowance for specific features of the pressure dynamics in the decompression wave, mass velocity components, volume fraction of the gas phase, and its viscosity are presented.     

Modeling of bubble behaviors and size distribution in a slab continuous casting mold

Population balance equations combined with Eulerian–Eulerian two-phase model are employed to predict the polydispersed bubbly flow inside the slab continuous-casting mold. The class method, realized by the MUltiple-SIze- Group (MUSIG) model, alongside with suitable bubble breakage and coalescence kernels is adopted. A two-way momentum transfer mechanism model combines the bubble induced turbulence model and various interfacial forces including drag, lift, virtual mass, wall lubrication, and turbulent dispersion are incorporated in the model. A 1/4th scaled water model of the slab continuous-casting mold was built to measure and investigate the bubble behavior and size distribution. A high speed video system was used to visualize the bubble behavior, and a digital image processing technique was used to measure the mean bubble diameter along the width of the mold. Predictions by previous mono-size model and MUSIG model are compared and validated against experimental data obtained from the water model. Effects of the water flow rate and gas flow rate on the mean bubble size were also investigated. Close agreements by MUSIG model were achieved for the gas volume fraction, liquid flow pattern, bubble breakage and coalescence, and local bubble Sauter mean diameter against observations and measurements of water model experiments.     

Investigation of bubble breakup and coalescence in a packed-bed reactor – Part 2: Development of a new bubble breakup and coalescence model

A mechanistic model of bubble breakup and coalescence has been developed for a packed bed. Bubble breakup and coalescence models are developed for two coalescence and three breakup mechanisms by taking account of geometry effects and local flow conditions. The bubble size distribution estimated with the present bubble breakup and coalescence models are compared with the experimental data. Change of bubble size distributions along the axial direction is studied with the median bubble size. Median bubble size as a function of the axial location is estimated under two inlet flow conditions: (1) bubble breakup dominated flow and (2) bubble coalescence dominated flow. The predictions of the median bubble size with the present model result in the best among other existing bubble breakup and coalescence models. However, the prediction of the median bubble size for the bubble coalescence dominated flow is still significantly larger than the experimental data. Breakup and coalescence coefficients need to be adjusted in order to predict more accurate bubble size distributions and median bubble size for both flow conditions. For the bubble breakup dominated flow, the breakup and coalescence coefficients are found to be 0.35 and 0.4, respectively. For the bubble coalescence dominated flow, the breakup and coalescence coefficients are found to be 0.35 and 0.01, respectively.     

Two-dimensional models of magma flows in a volcanic conduit taking the magma compressibility and thermal effects into account

Two steady-state models of magma flow in a conduit are considered, with and without allowance for magma compressibility. As distinct from studies [{xc1}–{xc6}], in which either simplified equations were solved or unrealistic values of the parameters were used, in the present study the complete systems of equations are solved and the values of the parameters correspond to magma flow in a volcanic conduit. The secondary flows obtained in [{xc5}] for model conditions are not formed when the magma is simulated by an incompressible fluid and all the terms of the equations are taken into account. When the magma compressibility is taken into account, in the isothermal case and for constant magma viscosity the entire flow is adequately described by the one-dimensional isothermalmodel, although this approach is not formally applicable.     

Three-dimensional CFD simulation of bubble–melt two-phase flow with air injecting and melt stirring

This paper reports on progress in developing CFD simulations of gas bubble–metallic melt turbulent flows induced by a pitched-blade impeller with an inclined shaft. Foaming process of aluminum foams, in which air is injected into molten aluminum composites and the melt is mechanical stirred by the impeller, has been investigated. A two-fluid model, incorporated with the Multiple Reference Frames (MRF) method is used to predict the three-dimensional gas–liquid flow in the foaming tank, in which a stirring shaft is positioned inclined into the melt. Locally average bubble size is also predicted by additively solving a transport equation for the bubble number density function, which accounts for effects of bubble breakup and coalescence phenomena. The computed bubble sizes are compared with experimental data from our water model measurement and reasonable agreements are obtained. Further, simulated results show that the volume averaged total and local gas fractions are generally increased with rising impeller speed and gas flow rate. The local averaged bubble size increases with increasing gas flow rate and orifice diameter and decreasing liquid viscosity, and decreases also with rising rotation speed of the impeller.     

An analog experiment of magma fragmentation: behavior of rapidly decompressed starch sirup

Paper reports a result of analog experiments regarding the simulation of magma fragmentation. We filled a starch sirup foam, as an analog material, in a 117–240 mm long and a 50 mm diameter high pressure chamber and exposed it to a rapid decompression. The foam was prepared by mixing starch sirups of dynamic viscosities ranging from 5 to 10¹² Pa· s at temperatures ranging from 293 to 343 K with nitrogen at 2.5 MPa gauge pressure. In ejecting high-pressure foams into a low-pressure chamber, diagnostics of foam’s fragmentation process were pressure measurment and high-speed video recording. Prior to decompression experiments, we examined visco-elastic properties of foam specimens by using a rheometer. The foam deformation under decompression was found to be axial–symmetrical, and strongly coupled with bubble growth and coalescence. These effects contributed even more efficiently to fragmentation processes than previous laboratory experiments using other analog materials. Fragment shapes varied widely depending on the temperature and water concentration of starch sirup foams, which proved that fragmentation process was governed by not only ductile deformation but also brittle failure, and determined by the degree of visco-elasticities of starch sirup foams.      

Investigation of bubble breakup and coalescence in a packed-bed reactor – Part 1: A comparative study of bubble breakup and coalescence models

In a packed-bed reactor a comparative study of bubble breakup and coalescence models has been investigated to study bubble size distributions as a function of the axial location. The bubble size distributions are obtained by solving population balance equations that describe gas–liquid interactions. Each combination of bubble breakup and coalescence models is examined under two inlet flow conditions: (1) predominant bubble breakup flow and (2) predominant bubble coalescence flow. The resulting bubble size distributions, breakup and coalescence rates estimated by individual models, are qualitatively compared to each other. The change of bubble size distributions along the axial direction is also described with medians. The medians resulting from CFD analyses are compared against the experimental data. Since the predictions estimated by CFD analyses with the existing bubble breakup and coalescence models do not agree with the experimental data, a new bubble breakup and coalescence model that takes account of the geometry effects is required to describe gas–liquid interactions in a packed-bed reactor.     

Effects of hydrophilic particles on bubbly flow in slurry bubble column

To investigate the effects of hydrophilic particles on slurry bubble flows in a bubble column, distributions of the local gas holdup and the bubble frequency are measured using an electric conductivity probe. Particles are made of silica and their diameter is 100 μm. The particle volumetric concentration C_S is varied from 0 to 0.40. The measured data imply that the presence of particles promotes bubble coalescence. The film drainage time for two coalescing bubbles in a quasi two-dimensional bubble flow in a small vessel is also measured to quantitatively evaluate the particle effect on coalescence. A particle-effect multiplier is introduced into a coalescence efficiency model by taking into account the data of film drainage time and is implemented into a multi-fluid model. The main conclusions obtained are as follows: (1) the local gas holdup and bubble frequency in slurry bubble flows decrease with increasing the particle concentration, (2) the hydrophilic particles enhance bubble coalescence and the enhancement saturates at C_S ≃ 0.45, (3) the particle effect on coalescence is well accounted for by introducing the particle-effect multiplier to the film drainage time, and (4) the multi-fluid model can give good predictions for the distribution of the local gas holdup in the slurry bubble column.     

Eulerian–Lagrangian 3-D simulations of unsteady two-phase gas–liquid flow in a rectangular column by considering bubble interactions

This work discusses the development of a three-dimensional Eulerian–Lagrangian CFD model for a gas–liquid flow in a rectangular column. The model resolves the time-dependent, three-dimensional motion of small gas bubbles in a liquid to simulate the dynamic characteristics of the oscillating bubble plume. Our model incorporates drag, gravity, buoyancy, lift, pressure gradient and virtual mass forces acting on a bubble rising in a liquid, and accounts for two-way momentum coupling between the phases. We use MUSIG model that provides a framework in which the population balance method together with the break up and coalescence models can be incorporated into three-dimensional CFD calculations. We use turbulent flow to describe liquid flow field. The standard κ–ε of turbulence is selected for calculating the properties of turbulent flow. The effect of aspect ratio of the column on the flow pattern, liquid velocity and gas hold-up profiles is discussed.     

Numerical investigation of ice breaking by a high-pressure bubble based on a coupled BEM-PD model

In this paper, by combining the boundary element method (BEM) and peridynamics (PD), a bubble-ice interaction model is established, which can investigate the dynamic interactions between a high-pressure bubble and an ice plate with particular focus on the mechanical behaviors of ice breaking. The bubble dynamics are solved by BEM based on the potential flow theory. Ice cracks initiation and propagation are simulated by the bond-based peridynamics which is validated by a three-point bending test. The fluid–structure interaction (FSI) is achieved by matching the normal velocity and hydrodynamic loads at the fluid–structure interface. To validate the proposed FSI model, an experiment is carried out in which an oscillating bubble is generated under an ice plate by underwater discharge system. The whole interaction process is captured by a Phantom V711 high-speed camera. Qualitative agreements are achieved between the numerical and experimental results. The underlying mechanism of cracks initiation, propagation, branching, and coalescence of the ice plate is found to highly depend on three parameters, i.e., bubble–ice distance, ice thickness and bubble size. The present study is expected to provide further assists in the understanding of ice breaking problems.     

Injection and coalescence of bubbles in a quiescent inviscid liquid

Time periodic generation and coalescence of bubbles by injection of a gas at a constant flow rate through an orifice at the bottom of a quiescent inviscid liquid is investigated numerically using a potential flow formulation. The volume of the bubbles is determined for different values of a Weber number and a Bond number. Single bubbling and different regimes of coalescence are described by these computations. The numerical results show qualitative agreement with well-known experimental results for liquids of low viscosity, suggesting that bubble interaction and coalescence following gas injection is to a large extent an inviscid phenomenon for these liquids, many aspects of which can be accounted for without recourse to wake effects or other viscosity-dependent ingredients of some current models.     

Dynamics of boundary layer formation in a volcano channel in a cavitating high-viscosity magma flow

Based on the full mathematical model of a viscous magma melt flow ascending in the gravity field behind a decompression wave front, an unsteady two-dimensional axisymmetric problem of the melt state dynamics at the initial stage of an explosive volcanic eruption and specific features of the flow in the vicinity of the channel wall for the cases of stationary and dynamically increasing viscosity are studied. The evolution of the boundary layer is numerically analyzed for a constant melt viscosity equal to μ = 10 ³ , 10 ⁵ , and 10 ⁷ Pa · sec. It is demonstrated that a boundary layer is formed on the wall of the channel with a radius of 100 m as the melt viscosity is changed in the range of 10 ³ –10 ⁵ Pa · sec, and the boundary layer thickness increases from 2 to 15 m. As the magma viscosity increases to 10 ⁷ Pa · sec, the boundary layer chokes the major part of the channel, thus, locking the flow in the vicinity of the axis of symmetry of the channel almost over the entire channel length. Substantial changes in the flow structure caused by dynamically increasing viscosity are demonstrated by an example of the melt in the channel with a radius of 10 m. By the time t = 1.1 sec, the boundary layer thickness in the channel cross section at a height of approximately 1000 m reaches almost 8 m, the boundary layer acquires the shape similar to a “diaphragm,” penetrates inward the channel by 200 m (with the mass velocity ranging from 0 to 15 m/sec), and locks the flow in a zone with a radius of approximately 2 m around the axis of symmetry of the channel.     

Validation of a Two-Dimensional Hyperbolic System Modelling a Gas Fluidized Bed

Numerical solutions of a gas fluidized bed model in two space dimensions are presented. This model is hyperbolic and contains particle pressure, but no particle viscosity. The results are compared with experimental data available in the literature for a wide variety of phenomena. Investigated are: the rise velocity of a single, isolated bubble; the frequency of variation of bubble diameter with time; bubble splitting; bubble frequency and the coalescence of a bubble chain formed by gas injected through a single orifice; analysis of the coalescence of bubbles aligned vertically, as well as that of those not in vertical alignment; the formation of slugs in narrow beds; and, eruption at the bed surface. The simulation results show both qualitative and quantitative agreement with the literature. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of particle size and concentration on bubble coalescence and froth formation in a slurry bubble column

A new approach for simulating the formation of a froth layer in a slurry bubble column is proposed. Froth is considered a separate phase, comprised of a mixture of gas, liquid, and solid. The simulation was carried out using commercial flow simulation software (FIRE v2014) for particle sizes of 60–150 μm at solid concentrations of 0–40 vol%, and superficial gas velocities of 0.02–0.034 m/s in a slurry bubble column with a hydraulic diameter of 0.2 m and height of 1.2 m. Modelling calculations were conducted using a Eulerian–Eulerian multiphase approach with k–ε turbulence. The population balance equations for bubble breakup, bubble coalescence rate, and the interfacial exchange of mass and momentum were included in the computational fluid dynamics code by writing subroutines in Fortran to track the number density of different bubble sizes. Flow structure, radial gas holdup, and Sauter mean bubble diameter distributions at different column heights were predicted in the pulp zone, while froth volume fraction and density were predicted in the froth zone. The model was validated using available experimental data, and the predicted and experimental results showed reasonable agreement. To demonstrate the effect of increasing solid concentration on the coalescence rate, a solid-effect multiplier in the coalescence efficiency equation was used. The solid-effect multiplier decreased with increasing slurry concentration, causing an increase in bubble coalescence efficiency. A slight decrease in the coalescence efficiency was also observed owing to increasing particle size, which led to a decrease in Sauter mean bubble diameter. The froth volume fraction increased with solid concentration. These results provide an improved understanding of the dynamics of slurry bubble reactors in the presence of hydrophilic particles.     

Effect of viscous dissipation on nonisothermal high-viscosity magma flow in a volcanic conduit

A two-dimensional nonisothermal model of magma flow in a volcanic conduit is proposed. The model makes it possible to investigate the effect of the processes of viscous dissipation and heat conduction on the magma flow. It is established that the effect of these processes is significant, particularly in the case of high flow rates. It is shown that in this case the conduit resistance calculated from the Poiseuille formula widely used in one-dimensional models is highly overestimated. This is related to the formation of a strongly heated fluid layer with reduced viscosity in the near-wall conduit zone. Within the framework of the proposed model it is possible to describe eruptions with flow rates which are several times higher than the flow rates obtained within the framework of one-dimensional models.Translated from Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Academii Nauk, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 6, 2004, pp. 21–32. Original Russian Text Copyright © 2004 by Barmin, Vedeneeva, and Melnik.