Simulation analysis of bubble coalescence behavior characteristics in non-Newtonian fluids based on the phase field method

Abstract

Gas-liquid two-phase flow is widely used in various fields of chemical production because of its stability. The bubble coalescence behavior has a significant impact on the size, shape and movement of bubbles. These parameters are important parameters for affecting the interphase mass and heat transfer processes and equipment performance. This paper presents a simulation study of the bubble coalescence behavior of non-Newtonian fluids using the phase field method through simulation software. The relative location of bubbles were divided into three types: vertical, parallel and random; and also the distribution of bubbles can be divided into three cases: symmetric, left-skewed and right-skewed. This paper focuses on the influence of the arrangements of the bubbles on their coalescence behavior in non-Newtonian fluids. The results show that in non-Newtonian fluids, the relative distance of the bubbles and the flow characteristics of the fluid are both key factors in whether bubble coalescence can occur, and they exhibit different patterns of action when the bubbles are in different arrangements. Also bubbles show different patterns of motion in different distributions.