Thermocapillary Bubble Oscillations and Migration in a Vibrating Cylinder in a Zero-Gravity Environment

Abstract

Abstract Bubble migration in a vibrating zero gravity environment is numerically investigated using ANSYS-FLUENT software. A 3D CFD model is developed describing the two-phase flow of a nitrogen bubble immersed in a container full of ethanol. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) method and the geometric reconstruction scheme are used to track the liquid-liquid interface. The container is vibrated horizontally with different frequencies from 0 Hz to 1 Hz, and amplitudes from 0.005 m/s2 to 0.1 m/s2. The vibration impact on the bubble arrival times to the top and its ensuing dynamic is analyzed. Different bubble trajectory shapes are observed, other than the conventional vertical translation induced by the temperature difference. Compared to the no vibration case, the bubble motion is slightly either accelerated or decelerated for very low vibration amplitudes, Ab = 0.005 m/s2. For a fixed frequency f = 1 Hz, the bubble arrival time increases significantly with the vibration amplitude increment relative to the no vibration case. The vibration effect becomes more intense with the Marangoni number decrease when f = 0.2 Hz and Ab = 0.005 m/s2. Those results are difficult to obtain experimentally, signifying the importance of this numerical study to understand bubble motion and migration in space.