Measurements in a low temperature CO2-driven geysering well, viewed in relation to natural geysers

A literature review on natural geysers and geysering flows in engineering plants, such as nuclear reactors and rocket-engine fuel systems, is presented. Certain parallels are observed in the development of understanding in these different fields. The majority of references on natural geysers indicate that a chamber connected to the surface by a narrow channel or channels is essential to produce the intermittent discharge that is characteristic of geysers. A detailed set of measurements was obtained from a New Zealand well. These results demonstrate that a separate chamber is not essential to the production of a geysering discharge. The discharge is caused by the cyclic formation of Taylor bubbles from the devolved gas and it is these bubbles that produce the sudden eruptions that are characteristic of a natural geyser. © 2005 CNR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.