METANE

Modeling undErwater gas/oil blowouT And Ing lEak

This project models gas or oil bubble flows in underwater discharge or leakage.

Projet en cours

Project affiliated to:

Project leader	Alyotech
Industrials partners	ENGIE, Nymphea Environnement
Research partners	Armines, CEDRE
Budget	1 076 K€
Cofinanceur publics	FUI (Single Interministerial Fund) & Regional authorities
Year of labeling	2011
Year of co-financing	2011

This project has 3 components:

Development of a mathematical model of jet plumes based on a Lagrangian approach. It has the ability to model multiphase flow and will take into account the formation / decomposition of hydrates and gas dissolution in water. Close attention will be paid to oil spills and to the behaviour of droplets which may be formed further to the addition of surfactant to the source.
Implementation of physical models in the laboratory and outdoors (military port) to determine the characteristics of the discharge in the water column, the influence of pressure and to calibrate / compare with the underwater dispersion model.
Utilization of the results by combining them with a validated atmospheric dispersion model and thus offering a complete sequence to develop risk prevention plans or deploy operationally for the management of an accident.

A further offshore action plan in depths of about a hundred metres could be considered with the support of the Navy.