Experimental Investigations on the Cavitation Bubble Dynamics near the Boundary of a Narrow Gap

Abstract

Cavitation bubbles near narrow gaps widely exist within microfluidic control devices. In the present paper, a laser-induced cavitation bubble is arranged in a narrow gap composed of two parallel plates. The inception position of the bubble is set to be at the same distance from the two plates so that the dynamic behaviors of the bubble are symmetrical. The collapse and rebound dynamics of the bubble near the boundary of a narrow gap are investigated through high-speed photography. The bubble behaviors (e.g., shape deformation, translational movement, and jet characteristics) are analyzed while considering the influence of the dimensionless distance between the bubble and the boundary and the dimensionless gap width. The principal findings include the following: (1) When the dimensionless distance is small, a violent jet towards the gap is generated during the bubble collapse stage, along with a weak counter-jet towards the boundary appearing during the rebound stage. (2) As the dimensionless distance increases, the translational distance of the bubble during the collapse stage initially decreases, then increases, and finally decreases to zero. (3) Within the parameter range considered in this paper, the dimensionless width mainly affects the expansion degree and movement direction of the bubble cloud during its rebound and subsequent stages. The above research findings can provide experimental support for bubble-driven flow control, pumping, and liquid mixing in microfluidic channels.