Numerical study of underwater oil spill diffusion in complex hydrodynamic environments.

This article focuses on the development and validation of a numerical model to analyze the diffusion behavior of underwater oil spills under the combined effects of waves and currents. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, the study simulates oil spill trajectories considering various hydrodynamic conditions, including still water, pure current, pure wave, and wave–current coupling. Results indicate that currents cause oil spill trajectories to tilt in the flow direction and inhibit upward movement, while waves induce oscillatory dispersion and greater particle spread; under wave–current coupling, oil spills exhibit combined characteristics with increased dispersion. The study also finds that higher oil spill velocities raise the height at which lateral drift begins, and oil–gas mixtures disperse faster and more widely than pure oil. These findings provide insights valuable for predicting and managing underwater oil spill diffusion in complex marine environments.