In many practical situations, bubbles are dispersed in a liquid phase. The understanding and the modeling of bubbly flows is therefore a major issue for many applications including chemical engineering (bubble columns), water treatment (oxygenation and purification), nuclear industry (steam generators, accidental depressurizations), naval transport (skin drag reduction) and medicine (contrast agent, microbubbles bursting). Bubbly flows result from the twoway coupling between a liquid and bubbles that are randomly distributed over space. The specific properties of the bubbles make their dynamics very rich. Bubbles are inertialess and deformable, which complicates the expression of the hydrodynamic forces that act on them. They are compressible, which causes bubbly flows to be complex media for pressure waves and allows cavitation to occur. The interface properties are influenced by the presence of surfactant molecules that may be adsorbed at the bubble surface. In addition, the size of the bubbles is often not small compared to the characteristic length scales of the flow and buoyancy forces play a significant role. This implies to consider a large range of length scales and causes the generation of a strong agitation known as pseudo-turbulence. Owing to their complexity, different approaches have to be combined to deal with the different aspects of bubbly flows. Numerical simulations are particularly well suited to investigate phenomena at the bubble scale. In this course, the fundamentals of the numerical simulation of bubbles will be presented and, in particular, the hydrodynamic loads acting on a bubble will be discussed in detail. Collective effects are better addressed by experimental investigations. A review of advanced experimental techniques (Highspeed imaging, Particle Image Velocimetry, 3D Particle Tracking Velocimetry…) will be proposed and the dynamics of a swarm of rising bubbles will be described for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. Theoretical methods are also of great help in the study of bubbly flows. Theoretical expression of hydrodynamic forces on a single bubble will be presented for large or small Reynolds numbers. Averaged equations will be derived to handle the stochastic character of flows involving many bubbles. The objective is to provide stateof-the-art information on bubbly flow. The principal methods of investigations will be exposed and illustrated. The flow will be considered at different scales, from that of a single bubble to that of a bubble swarm. Major results concerning the dynamics of bubbly flows will be presented as well as several modern applications. The course is addressed to PhD students, young and senior researchers, or practicing engineers, involved in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Fluid Dynamics. Since it does not focus on a particular technique (numerical, experimental or theoretical), it should be of interest for a large audience.
On bubble clustering and energy spectra in pseudo-turbulence. Martinez, Chahata, van Gils, Sun & Lohse. J. Fluid Mech. 650 (2010) 287–306. Shock Waves in Dilute Bubbly Liquids. Watanabe & Prosperetti. J. Fluid Mech. 274 (1994) 349-381. Modeling and VOF-based numerical simulation of mass transfer processes at fluidic particles. Bothe & Fleckenstein. Chem. Eng. Science 101 (2013), 283-302. The motion of high-Reynoldsnumber bubbles in inhomogeneous flows. Magnaudet & Eames. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics 32 (2000) 659-708. Experimental characterization of the agitation generated by bubbles rising at high Reynolds number. Riboux, Risso & Legendre. J. Fluid Mech. 643 (2010) 509–539.
Dieter Bothe (Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany)
5 lectures on: Modeling and Direct Numerical Simulation of Bubbles: (1) continuum thermodynamics of two-phase systems employing sharp-interface approach; (2) discussion of various numerical methods for DNS, with emphasis on VOF; (3) applications to bubble dynamics and multi physics with emphasis on mass transfer.Jacques Magnaudet (Université de Toulouse, France)
5 lectures on: The physical origin of the hydrodynamic forces on bubbles is discussed: added-mass, shear-induced lift, viscous drag, history drag and wall effect. Theoretical or semi-empirical expressions are given for all Reynolds numbers. Their predictions are compared with available data in practical situations.Andrea Prosperetti (Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA)
5 lectures on: Pressure waves in bubbly flows: (1) Fundamental of bubble dynamics; (2) Simple averaging approaches for linear waves; (3) Nonlinear waves and shocks; (4) Ensemble averaging tools; (5) Derivation of averaged equations by ensemble averaging.Frédéric Risso (CNRS and Université de Toulouse, France)
5 lectures on: Statistical and spectral features of the liquid agitation induced by moving bubbles are described. Underlying physical mechanisms are explained by distinguishing localized spatial disturbances from collective flow instability. Practical consequences on mixing and interfacial transfer are presented.Chao Sun (University of Twente, The Netherlands)
5 lectures on: Advanced experimental techniques for bubbly flows are presented and discussed: high-speed imaging, flow visualizations, phase-sensitive hot-film anemometry, laser-Doppler anemometry, particle image velocimetry and tracking. A particular emphasis is put on 3D characterization.Shu Takagi (The University of Tokyo, Japan)
5 lectures on: Engineering and medical applications of bubbly flows are discussed with an emphasis on fundamental physics: water purification using microbubbles; skin friction reduction for ship propulsion by bubble injection; microbubbles as contrast agent of ultrasound diagnosis with application to the therapy.Roberto Zenit (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico)
5 lectures on: Starting from fundamental rheological concepts, the influence of viscoelasticity and shear-dependent viscosity on the motion of single bubbles and pair interactions are analyzed. Then, the original key features of non-Newtonian bubbly liquids, such as cluster formations, are discussed.