Breakup conditions of liquid bubbles due to airstreams for power engineering

Abstract

This paper describes the breakup conditions of a liquid bubble exposed to an airstream. Experiments were conducted using a horizontal air-suction-type wind tunnel. Liquids and air were fed to a nozzle, and uniformly sized liquid bubbles were produced. Liquid bubbles vertically fell down, and entered the horizontal wind tunnel. A liquid bubble has a larger surface area than a liquid drop of the same mass. So, the liquid bubble could be superior to a liquid drop for heat exchange, combustion and so on. The deformation processes and the breakup conditions of liquid bubbles due to airstreams were observed and recorded using a stroboscope by single exposure photography. The breakup conditions for three breakup types were determined. 50%(vol.) ethanol in water solution and 50%(vol.) glycerin in water solution were used in the experiment.