Simultaneous measurements of deforming Hinze-scale bubbles with surrounding turbulence

TL;DR

This study experimentally investigates the breakup mechanisms of Hinze-scale bubbles in turbulence by tracking bubbles and surrounding particles, introducing models linking Weber numbers to turbulence characteristics and bubble deformation.

Contribution

It provides new empirical models connecting Weber numbers to bubble deformation and breakup probability, enhancing understanding of bubble breakup near the Hinze scale.

Findings

Two Weber numbers effectively characterize bubble breakup.

A new empirical model links bubble deformation to Weber numbers.

Breakup probability near the Hinze scale can be inferred from Weber number distributions.

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the breakup mechanisms and probability of Hinze-scale bubbles in turbulence. The Hinze scale is defined as the critical bubble size based on the critical mean Weber number, across which the bubble breakup probability was believed to have an abrupt transition from being dominated by turbulence stresses to being suppressed completely by the surface tension. In this work, to quantify the breakup probability of bubbles with sizes close to the Hinze scale and to examine different breakup mechanisms, both bubbles and their surrounding tracer particles were simultaneously tracked. From the experimental results, two Weber numbers, one calculated from the slip velocity between the two phases and the other one acquired from local velocity gradients, are separated and fitted with models that can be linked back to turbulence characteristics. Moreover, we also provide an empirical model to link bubble deformation to the two Weber numbers by extending the relationship obtained from potential flow theory. The proposed relationship between bubble aspect ratio and the Weber numbers seems to work consistently well for a range of bubble sizes. Furthermore, the time traces of the bubble aspect ratio and the two Weber numbers are connected using the linear forced oscillator model. Finally, having access to the distributions of these two Weber numbers provides a unique way to extract the breakup probability of bubbles with sizes close to the Hinze scale.