Numerical modeling of two-phase flow in seafloor hydrothermal systems

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Two-phase flow and phase separation is an essentially ubiquitous feature of high temperature hydrothermal circulation at ocean ridges. This project will continue efforts toward developing a finite difference based numerical code for a NaCl-H2O solution and applying it to a number of first order seafloor hydrothermal problems. Tasks to be addressed include further modeling of 1-D heat pipe systems, modeling of 1-D systems including mass flux from below, modeling of 2-D circulation near a dike, and general 2-D circulation in a single-pass model.