Abstract
This study experimentally investigates the hydrodynamic characteristics of air bubbles within a glass bubble absorber. A swirl generator designed based on the cavity profile introduces swirl motion to the air entering the water column, and high-speed visualization techniques are employed to analyze the resulting bubble behavior. The optimal swirl generator geometry is determined by performing numerical simulations. This study considers still, cocurrent and countercurrent water flow conditions relative to the airflow. Experiments are also conducted to explore the impact of air and water flow rates on bubble characteristics, such as departure diameter, departure time, rise velocity, etc. Visualization studies revealed that the bubble formation phenomenon can be categorized into three different stages: initiation, growth, and detachment. It is observed that the direction of water flow has a significant effect on bubble characteristics. Based on the experimental data, empirical correlations for nondimensional departure bubble diameter have been proposed, which can help estimate the primitive bubble size in a bubble absorber.
Issue Section:
Multiphase Flows
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