On the possibility to measure volumes of small gas bubbles and the bubble producing gas flow rates acoustically

Abstract

Using the pulsation properties of gas bubbles it is possible to measure acoustically volumes c.q. equivalent diameters of gas bubbles in the range of 1.8–2.1 mm, produced at low frequencies at capillary tubes in a silent environment. Hence it is possible to measure very low gas flow rates (from 4 up to 100 mm3/s). During formation of bubbles at capillary tubes phenomena of repeated coalescence can occur between a just released bubble and the following bubbles under formation. This occurrence depends on the speed of rise, the bubble volume and the formation frequency. There is experimental evidence that this swallowing-up gives cause to a swinging-up of the amplitude of the pulsation signal. This coalescence process is the main physical limitation of the claimed method to low frequencies. There is also some experimental evidence by laser pulse synchronization between acoustics and bubble photographs that the often reported neck during bubble formation actually is an effect caused by this swallowing-up process.