The dynamics of non-spherical vapour bubbles

Guy, TB; Ledwidge, TJ

The dynamics of non-spherical vapour bubbles

Date

1971-11-29

Authors

Guy, TB

Ledwidge, TJ

Publisher

Fourth Australasian Conference on Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics Organising Committee

Abstract

An account is given of an experimental and theoretical study of the dynamics of a vapour bubble in sub-cooled water. The bubble is generated by transiently heating a thin constantan steel strip in which a cylindrical nucleation hole exists. A finite element computer solution to the transient, non- spherical growth of the bubble assumes the bubble surface to be inscribed by a large number of spheres of radii equivalent to the average of the principal radii of curvature at a point on the surface. The particular case of axial symmetry is considered here. The change of the surface topology of the bubble with time is taken to be that produced by the corresponding growth or collapse of the generating spheres. It is assumed that under the considered conditions, the energy exchange across the liquid-vapour interface is dominated by mass transfer and thus a considerable simplification in the interfacial energy exchange equations results. The mass transfer equation across the boundary is coupled to a modified form of the Rayleigh equation in which pressure gradient, surface tension and viscosity terms have been accounted for. The effect of a temperature field on the bubble shape and on the acoustic wave emitted by the bubble is examined and shown to be in reasonable agreement with the experimental dynamic pressure measurements.

Description

Physical copy held by ANSTO Library at DDC: 532/32

Keywords

Boilers, Bubble growth, Cavitation, Hydrodynamics, Mass transfer, Nucleate Boiling, Spheres, Subcooling, Surface tension, Symmetry, Temperature range, Topology, Vapor generators, Vapors, Viscosity, Reynolds number

Citation

Guy, T. B., & Ledwidge, T. J. (1971). The dynamics of non-spherical vapour bubbles. Paper presented to the Fourth Australasian Conference on Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, 1971 November 29 to December 3. In [Proceedings of the] Fourth Australasian Conference on Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics : at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, 1971 November 29 to December 3, (pp. 345-351). Melbourne: Fourth Australasian Conference on Hydraulics and Fluid Mechanics Organising Committee.