Pressure and volume changes of an air bubble in a liquid water flow through a heated micro-channel

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study a gas bubble flowing in a micro-channel filled with liquid and to quantify the compressibility effects induced in the bubble by a heat supply at the walls of the channel.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a model and its numerical implementation. A hybrid method combining front-tracking techniques and a Heaviside step function is introduced to ensure an accurate satisfaction of the mass and energy conservation laws.

Findings

Compressibility effects in the bubble are quantified. Test cases for numerical simulations of two-phase flows involving heat transfer are proposed.

Originality/value

The authors present original test cases in which expansion or compression of a gas bubble flowing in a liquid are induced by heat transfer at the wall.

Citation

Prigent, G., DULUC, M.-C. and Le Quéré, P. (2015), "Pressure and volume changes of an air bubble in a liquid water flow through a heated micro-channel", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 25 No. 7, pp. 1746-1768. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-11-2013-0324