Analysis of Interaction and Flow Pattern of Multiple Bubbles in Shear-Thinning Viscoelastic Fluids

Hongbin He, Zhuang Liu, Jingbo Ji and Shaobai Li ()
Additional contact information
Hongbin He: School of Aero-Engine, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang 110136, China
Zhuang Liu: School of Energy and Environment, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang 110136, China
Jingbo Ji: School of Energy and Environment, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang 110136, China
Shaobai Li: School of Energy and Environment, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang 110136, China

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: A numerical study was conducted on the interaction of bubbles with different diameters and arrangements in shear-thinning viscoelastic fluids using OpenFOAM. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method combined with the surface tension model was used to track the gas–liquid interface, and the rheological properties of the fluid were characterized with the Giesekus model. The numerical results are corresponded with the previous references, verifying the correctness of the simulation method. The influences of the initial bubble diameter, horizontal spacing, and arrangement on the motion state of three parallel bubbles were studied in detail. The flow pattern of the bubble rising was analyzed and compared with the motion state of parallel unequal double bubbles. As the diameter of the bubbles increases, the interaction among three equal size bubbles is changed from coalescence to detachment. Changing the diameter of one of the bubbles will significantly affect the movement of the larger diameter bubble, which is due to the enhancement in kinetic energy. The final state of some arrangement ways is consistent with the phenomenon of unequal double bubbles. The shear thinning effect, the velocity difference between bubbles, and the flow field around bubbles are considered the main reasons that decide the interaction between bubbles.

Keywords: viscoelastic fluids; flow patterns; shear thinning; bubbles; interactions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5345/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5345/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:14:p:5345-:d:1192868

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().