Scaling of the bubble formation in a flow-focusing device: Role of the liquid viscosity

Microfluidic Monodispersed Microbubble Generation for Production of Cavitation Nuclei

Microbubbles, acting as cavitation nuclei, undergo cycles of expansion, contraction, and collapse. This collapse generates shockwaves, alters local shear forces, and increases local temperature. Cavitation causes severe changes in pressure and temperature, resulting in surface erosion. Shockwaves strip material from surfaces, forming pits and cracks. Prolonged cavitation reduces the mechanical strength and fatigue life of materials, potentially leading to failure. Controlling bubble size and generating monodispersed bubbles is crucial for accurately modeling cavitation phenomena. In this work, we generate monodispersed microbubbles with controllable size using a novel and low-cost microfluidic method. We created an innovative T-junction structure that controls the two-phase flow for tiny, monodispersed bubble generation. Monodisperse microbubbles with diameters below one-fifth of the channel width (W = 100 µm) are produced due to the controlled pressure gradient. This microstructure, fabricated by a CNC milling technique, produces 20 μm bubbles without requiring high-resolution equipment and cleanroom environments. Bubble size is controlled with gas and liquid pressure ratio and microgeometry. This microbubble generation method provides a controllable and reproducible way for cavitation research.

Gas–Liquid Slug Flow Studies in Microreactors: Effect of Nanoparticle Addition on Flow Pattern and Pressure Drop

Colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles (e.g., metals and oxides) have been considered as a promising working fluid in microreactors for achieving significant process intensification. Existing examples include their uses in microflow as catalysts for enhancing the reaction efficiency, or as additives to mix with the base fluid (i.e., to form the so-called nanofluids) for heat/mass transfer intensification. Thus, hydrodynamic characterization of such suspension flow in microreactors is of high importance for a rational design and operation of the system. In this work, experiments have been conducted to investigate the flow pattern and pressure drop characteristics under slug flow between N2 gas and colloidal suspensions in the presence of TiO2 or Al2O3 nanoparticles through polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) capillary microreactors. The base fluid consisted of water or its mixture with ethylene glycol. The slug flow pattern with nanoparticle addition was characterized by the presence of a lubricating liquid film around N2 bubbles, in contrast to the absence of liquid film in the case of N2-water slug flow. This shows that the addition of nanoparticles has changed the wall wetting property to be more hydrophilic. Furthermore, the measured pressure drop under N2-nanoparticle suspension slug flow is well described by the model of Kreutzer et al. (AIChE J 51(9):2428–2440, 2005) at the mixture Reynolds numbers ca. above 100 and is better predicted by the model of Warnier et al. (Microfluidics and Nanofluidics 8(1):33–45, 2010) at lower Reynolds numbers given a better consideration of the effect of film thickness and bubble velocity under such conditions in the latter model. Therefore, the employed nanoparticle suspension can be considered as a stable and pseudo single phase with proper fluid properties (e.g., viscosity and density) when it comes to the pressure drop estimation.

Reliable Manipulation of Gas Bubble Size on Superaerophilic Cones in Aqueous Media

Gas bubbles in aqueous media are ubiquitous in a broad range of applications. In most cases, the size of the bubbles must be manipulated precisely. However, it is very difficult to control the size of gas bubbles. The size of gas bubbles is affected by many factors both during and after the generation process. Thus, precise manipulation of gas bubble size still remains a great challenge. The ratchet and conical hairs of the Chinese brush enable it to realize a significant capacity for holding ink and transferring them onto paper continuously and controllably. Inspired by this, a superhydrophobic/superaerophilic cone interface is developed to manipulate gas bubble size in aqueous media. When the resultant force between the Laplace force and the axial component of the buoyancy force approaches zero, the gas bubble is held steadily by the superhydrophobic/superaerophilic copper cones in a unique position (balance position). A new kind of pressure sensor is also designed based on this principle.

Improving microalgal growth with small bubbles in a raceway pond with swing gas aerators

A novel swing gas aerator was developed to generate small bubbles for improving the mass transfer coefficient and microalgal growth rate in a raceway pond. A high-speed photography system (HSP) was used to measure the bubble diameter and generation time, and online precise dissolved oxygen probes and pH probes were used to measure the mass transfer coefficient and mixing time. Bubble generation time and diameter decreased by 21% and 9%, respectively, when rubber gas aerators were swung in the microalgae solution. When water pump power and gas aeration rate increased in a raceway pond with swing gas aerators and oscillating baffles (SGAOB), bubble generation time and diameter decreased but solution velocity and mass transfer coefficient increased. The mass transfer coefficient increased by 25% and the solution velocity increased by 11% when SGAOB was used, and the microalgal biomass yield increased by 18%.

Improving microalgal growth with reduced diameters of aeration bubbles and enhanced mass transfer of solution in an oscillating flow field

A novel oscillating gas aerator combined with an oscillating baffle was proposed to generate smaller aeration bubbles and enhance solution mass transfer, which can improve microalgal growth in a raceway pond. A high-speed photography system (HSP) was used to measure bubble diameter and generation time, and online precise dissolved oxygen probes and pH probes were used to measure mass-transfer coefficient and mixing time. Bubble diameter and generation time decreased with decreased aeration gas rate, decreased orifice diameter, and increased water velocity in the oscillating gas aerator. The optimized oscillating gas aerator decreased bubble diameter and generation time by 25% and 58%, respectively, compared with a horizontal tubular gas aerator. Using an oscillating gas aerator and an oscillating baffle in a raceway pond increased the solution mass-transfer coefficient by 15% and decreased mixing time by 32%; consequently, microalgal biomass yield increased by 19%.