[Geysers] Taylor bubbles

[Jeffrey Cross]

Taylor bubbles fill most of the cross-section of a pipe.  One reference
calls them "slug bubbles."

This paper is excellent (Geothermics 2005 v. 34 #4, p. 389-410).  Notably,
it references the Glennon and Pfaff article on carbon dioxide geysers in
Transactions IX.

Also notably, it confirms that the standard stem-and-bulb model (long pipe
leading downward to a subterranean chamber) frequently used to illustrate
geysers is not a necessary geometry--a long vertical pipe will work just
fine.

It also appears that the geyser erupts without any constriction or
narrowing of the pipe.

I must add, however, that if a constriction exists within a geyser, I
suspect it will be in that very place where the eruption starts.  The
authors suggest that the eruption begins when Taylor bubbles form, and
note that this is thought to occur when the gas fraction of the fluid is
around 25%.  If there is a constriction in the pipe, the gas fraction
should reach 25% there before it does anyplace else.

The authors' descriptions of how the geyser functions are the best I have
seen anyplace.

Jeff Cross
jacross at lamar.colostate.edu


On Mon, 24 Oct 2005 TSBryan at aol.com wrote:

> The same issue of Geothermics that Jeff Cross cited as including an
> article about Rehai and vicinity, Yunnan, PRC, has another article (out
> of New Zealand)  that deals with eruptions from artificial wells as
> related to eruptions by natural geysers. The abstract states that the
> well eruptions result from the:
>
> "... cyclic formation of Taylor bubbles from the devolved gas..."
>
> OK, cool. But what's a Taylor bubble?
>
> Scott Bryan
>