Experiments on breakup of bubbles in a turbulent flow

Abstract

The breakup of air bubbles in a turbulent water flow is studied experimentally. Water flows from a nozzle array, generating intense turbulence, and then flows downward through a cell. The velocity field is measured by PIV, and the local dissipation rate is estimated using a large‐eddy PIV technique. Bubbles (1.8 to 5 mm) are injected in the bottom of the cell and rise toward the region of intense turbulence, where they break. The time spent by bubbles in various zones without breaking and the number of breakups are evaluated, providing information about the breakup frequency. The number of daughter bubbles and their size distribution are determined. The number of daughters depends on a Weber number , where ϵ is the turbulent energy dissipation rate, D′ is the mother particle size, ρ and σ are the liquid density and surface tension. The daughter size distribution is a function of their number. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 64: 740–757, 2018