EFFECT OF HYDRATES ON INSTABILITY OF LIQUID CO2 JETS IN THE DEEP-OCEAN

A theoretical investigation has been conducted into the effect of hydr ates on the instability of liquid CO2 jets in the deep ocean. It is sh own that the effect of hydrates on instability of a liquid CO2 jet dep ends on the relative magnitudes of the hydrate-formation time, t(f), a t which the CO2-seawater interface is covered entirely with hydrates a nd of the jet-breakup time, t(b), at which the jet breaks up into drop lets. If t(b)/t(f) much less than 1, then hydrates cannot form even at a later stage of jet instability and jet breakup is pure hydrodynamic behavior. If t(b)/t(f) similar to 1, then hydrates may form during la ter stages of jet instability; for this case, droplets produced at the end of the jet may be covered with a thin hydrate layer and these dro plets may coagulate to form grape-like hydrate structures if they inte ract with each other. If t(b)/t(f) much greater than 1, then a thin hy drate layer will form on the surface of the jet at an early stage of j et instability; for this case, a tube-like hydrate structure may occur . The results of this study agree with deep-ocean and laboratory obser vations reported by previous investigators. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevie r Science Ltd.