Pressure oscillation of an air pocket beneath a water column in a vertical riser

Storm geysers have received significant attention lately due to its more frequent occurrences and the induced severe local flooding and infrastructure damages. Previous studies suggested that the air pocket pressure oscillated during geyser events especially in rapid filling process, but only the peak values were studied and the oscillation period was not discussed in detail. In this paper, a theoretical model was developed focusing on the period of the pressure oscillation induced by the expansion/compression of the air pocket below a water column in a vertical riser with film flow. It was found that the oscillation period was a function of the initial air pocket volume, initial air pocket pressure head, the riser diameter, and the initial water column length. The oscillation period increased with the air pocket pressure head and the air pocket volume, but decreased with the riser diameter and the polytropic coefficient. The oscillation period increased then decreased with an increasing water column length. Further, when considering the film flow along the riser, the oscillation period decreased slightly from the analytical solution. It was also found that the inflow rate change did not significantly influence the oscillation period.