A Theoretical Model for Deposition of Aerosols in Rising Spherical Bubbles due to Diffusion, Convection, and Inertia

Abstract

A novel approximate theoretical analysis is proposed whereby the deposition of aerosols in expanding and shrinking spherical bubbles rising in stagnant liquid due to the combined effects of molecular diffusion, convection, and inertia is modeled. The bubble internal circulation is assumed to be similar to Hill's vortex flow. Using the new method, parametric calculations representing conditions where bubbles remain spherical and nonoscillating, and diffusion, convection, and inertia are the dominant aerosol removal mechanisms, are performed, and the contribution of the inertial transport mechanism is discussed. It is also suggested that the common practice of using Fuchs's methodology, where aerosol fluxes resulting from different mechanisms are separately calculated using simple models and added together to find the total aerosol flux, is inadequate.