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Multiphase Science and Technology

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ISSN Print: 0276-1459

ISSN Online: 1943-6181

SJR: 0.144 SNIP: 0.256 CiteScore™:: 1.1 H-Index: 24

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NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF BUBBLE FORMATION IN A MICROCHANNEL USING A MICROPILLAR

Volume 31, Issue 3, 2019, pp. 255-272
DOI: 10.1615/MultScienTechn.2019030725
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ABSTRACT

A three-dimensional numerical simulation of bubble formation in a microchannel with a micropillar is investigated. Simulation results are validated against experimental data, where the working fluids are water and nitrogen. The gas enters the microchannel through a single slit located at 0 degrees, along the pillar's depth. This is the first computational study performed with these flow conditions, and it aims to expand the experimental results in order to obtain a better understanding of the formation process and the flow patterns. The bubble formation process has two distinct main regimes, namely, discrete bubble and attached ligament, as well as a transitional regime between them. The transformation from one regime to another is dictated by the capillary number (Ca) and the volumetric flow ratio (Q). An analysis is performed to evaluate the critical values at which the transformation takes place. In addition, for the discrete bubble regime, the simulation results provide a proportional correlation between Q and the size of bubbles, and an inversely proportional relationship between Q and formation time, for each Ca. The computations are performed in the range of 1 × 10-3Ca ≤ × 10-2 and 1 × 10-3Q ≤ 9 × 10-1.

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