Tube geometry can force switchlike transitions in the behaviorof propagating bubbles

Microscale process engineering requires precise control of bubbles and droplets. We investigate geometry-induced control and find that a centered constriction in the cross section of rectangular tubes can lead to new families of steadily propagating bubbles, which localize in the least-constricted r...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physics of fluids (1994) 2009-10, Vol.21 (10), p.101702-101702-4
Main Authors: de Lózar, A., Heap, A., Box, F., Hazel, A. L., Juel, A.
Format: Article
Language:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Microscale process engineering requires precise control of bubbles and droplets. We investigate geometry-induced control and find that a centered constriction in the cross section of rectangular tubes can lead to new families of steadily propagating bubbles, which localize in the least-constricted regions of the cross section. Tuning the constriction geometry can cause a switchlike transition from centered to localized bubbles at a critical value of the flow rate: a mechanism for flow-rate-driven bubble control. The accompanying large change in bubble volume could be significant for liquid recovery applications.
ISSN:1070-6631
1089-7666
DOI:10.1063/1.3247879