Bubble Evolution through a Submerged Orifice Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics: Effect of Different Thermophysical Properties

Abstract

Formation of gas bubbles through an orifice under a liquid pool is important as a topic of fundamental research and is relevant in diverse industrial applications. This complex process is influenced by a large number of process parameters including the properties of the liquid and the gas phase. In the present work investigations have been made for bubble evolution at a submerged orifice using a computational simulation. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics is used to model the formation and detachment of the bubble from the orifice mouth. Using the advantage of this particle-based method, effects of density, viscosity, and surface tension of the liquid are investigated by noticing instantaneous bubble contour and the duration of bubble growth. The present simulation has been validated satisfactorily against published results. Finally, the process of neck formation and bubble pinch off has also been studied by varying the specific fluid properties individually. It has been noticed that the effect of surface tension and the effect of viscosity on bubble growth and necking are just the reverse of the effect of density on these processes. Moreover, compared to surface tension and density, the effect of viscosity on bubble evolution is marginal.