Numerical investigation of bubble growth, detachment and coalescence characteristics by a lattice-Boltzmann model

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:20002399

Yang, Z L; Nourgaliev, R R; Sehgal, B R; Dinh, T N; Theofanous, T

A numerical study was performed to investigate the characteristics of bubble growth, detachment and coalescence on horizontal surfaces. The FlowLab code, which is based on a lattice-Boltzmann model for two-phase flows, was employed. Macroscopic properties, such as surface tension ({sigma}) and contact angle ({beta}), were implemented through the fluid-fluid (G{sub {sigma}}) and fluid-solid (G{sub t}) interaction potentials. The model predicted a linear relationship between the macroscopic properties ({sigma}, {beta}) and microscopic parameters (G{sub {sigma}}, G{sub t}). The simulation results on bubble departure diameter appear the same parametric dependence as the empirical correlation. Hydrodynamic aspects of bubble coalescence are investigated by simulating the growth and detachment behavior of multiple bubbles generated on a horizontal surface. Three distinct regimes of bubble coalescence were represented in the lattice-Boltzmann simulation: lateral coalescence of bubbles situated on the surface; vertical coalescence of bubbles detached in a sequence from a site; and lateral coalescence of bubbles, detached from the surface.

• Research Organization: Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (SE)
• OSTI ID: 20002399
• Report Number(s): CONF-990805--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
BUBBLE GROWTH
COALESCENCE
FLOW MODELS
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
TWO-PHASE FLOW