Study of periodically excited bubbly jets by PIV and double optical sensors

Interactions between large coherent structures and bubbles in two-phase flow can be systematically observed in a periodically excited bubbly jet. Controlled excitation at fixed frequency causes large eddy structures to develop at regular intervals. Thus, interactions between large vortices and bubbles can be studied with PIV and double optical sensors (DOS) using phase-averaging techniques. A number of results on the time and space dependence of velocities and void fractions are presented revealing physical interactions between the liquid flow field and bubble movement as well as feedbacks from bubble agglomeration on the development of flow structures. A clear indication of bubble trapping inside the vortex ring is the generation of a bubble ring that travels with the same velocity as the vortex ring. The DOS results indicate clustering of the bubbles in coherent vortex structures, with a periodic variation of void fraction during the excitation period.