Modelling of the two phase plume dynamics of CO2 leakage into the North Sea

This project consists of developing a two-fluid numerical model to one that can simulate the plume dynamics and increases in water acidity caused by carbon dioxide (CO2) leakages from potential sub-seabed reservoirs erupting, or pipeline breaching into the North Sea, with the aim of predicting and highlighting the damage caused to the marine environment. The location of a leak of such magnitude is unpredictable; therefore, multiple scenarios are modelled with the physiochemical impact measured in terms of the movement and dissolution of the leaked CO2. The first section describes the CO2 transportation 2 phase model within a small scale ocean flow model, along with an individual bubble model to predict the movements. The model is verified using available methane (CH4) bubble experimental data, along with CO2 droplet experimental data. A correlation for the drag coefficient has been developed and a sub-model has been designed to predict the initial bubble or droplet sizes forming on the ocean floor and bubble breakup in the waters. CO2 leakage scenarios are modelled, with preliminary results showing that both bubbles and droplet cases can fully dissolve before reaching the water surface and atmosphere under the set conditions, however at low depth and large bubble sizes this may not be the case. Future stages of the project will go on to extend the laminar small scale model to fully turbulent models based on large eddy simulation (LES), and extending from the small to large scale.