Dynamics of bubble breakup at a T junction.

Abstract

The gas-liquid interfacial dynamics of bubble breakup in a T junction was investigated. Four regimes were observed for a bubble passing through the T junction. It was identified by the stop flow that a critical width of the bubble neck existed: if the minimum width of the bubble neck was less than the critical value, the breakup was irreversible and fast; while if the minimum width of the bubble neck was larger than the critical value, the breakup was reversible and slow. The fast breakup was driven by the surface tension and liquid inertia and is independent of the operating conditions. The minimum width of the bubble neck could be scaled with the remaining time as a power law with an exponent of 0.22 in the beginning and of 0.5 approaching the final fast pinch-off. The slow breakup was driven by the continuous phase and the gas-liquid interface was in the equilibrium stage. Before the appearance of the tunnel, the width of the depression region could be scaled with the time as a power law with an exponent of 0.75; while after that, the width of the depression was a logarithmic function with the time.