Clean versus contaminated bubbles in a solid-body rotating flow

• Published in: Journal of fluid mechanics Vol. 831; pp. 592 - 617
• Main Authors: Rastello, Marie, Marié, Jean-Louis, Lance, Michel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 25.11.2017; Cambridge University Press (CUP)
• Subjects: Bubbles; Coefficients; Computational fluid dynamics; Contaminants; Contamination; Deformation; Drag; Fluid mechanics; Fluids; Forces (mechanics); Investigations; Lift; Mathematical models; Mechanics; Physics; Rossby number; Rotating bodies; Rotation; drops and bubbles
• ISSN: 0022-1120; 1469-7645
• DOI: 10.1017/jfm.2017.624

The behaviour of clean and contaminated bubbles in solid-body rotating flows is compared in terms of drag and lift forces. Both spherical and deformed bubbles are considered. For that comparison, we have completed the data published in Rastello et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 624, 2009, pp. 159–178; J. Fluid Mech., vol. 682, 2011, pp. 434–459) by a new series of measurements. When they are contaminated, bubbles are subject to an additional lift force due to the spinning of their surfaces, while the clean ones are not. A detailed description of this spinning motion is presented and an expression for the Magnus-like lift it induces is given in the light of the new information. The component of the lift induced by flow rotation depends on the Rossby number $Ro$ , contrary to the case of clean bubbles. Including the ‘spin’ induced lift component in the dynamical equations provides a better prediction of the bubble’s trajectory in contaminated fluid. The presence of contaminants immobilizes the rear part of the bubble and reduces significantly the deformation. The laws of deformation according to the nature of the surface are presented. The way deformation influences the drag and lift coefficients in pure and contaminated fluids is quantified and discussed. Expressions for these various coefficients are proposed.