Behavior of Inert Gas Bubbles in Forced Convective Liquid Metal Circuits

1976 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Minkowycz ◽  
D. M. France ◽  
R. M. Singer

Conservation equations are derived for the motion of a small inert gas bubble in a large flowing liquid-gas solution subjected to large thermal gradients. Terms which are of the second order of magnitude under less severe and steady-state conditions are retained, thus resulting in an expanded form of the Rayleigh equation. The bubble dynamics is a function of opposing mechanisms tending to increase or decrease bubble volume while being transported with the solution. Diffusion of inert gas between the bubble and the solution is one of the most important of these mechanisms included in the analysis. The analytical model is applied to an argon gas bubble flowing in a weak solution of argon gas in liquid sodium. Calculations are performed for these fluids under conditions typical of normal and abnormal operation of a liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) core and the resulting bubble radius, internal gas pressure, and mass of inert gas are presented in each case. An important result obtained indicates that inert gas bubbles reaching the core inlet of an LMFBR will always grow as they traverse the core under normal and extreme abnormal conditions and that the rate of growth is quite small in all cases.

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (5) ◽  
pp. 505-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Halpern ◽  
Y. Jiang ◽  
J. F. Himm

Deep sea divers suffer from decompression sickness (DCS) when their rate of ascent to the surface is too rapid. When the ambient pressure drops, inert gas bubbles may form in blood vessels and tissues. The evolution of a gas bubble in a rigid tube filled with slowly moving fluid, intended to simulate a bubble in a blood vessel, is studied by solving a coupled system of fluid-flow and gas transport equations. The governing equations for the fluid motion are solved using two techniques: an analytical method appropriate for small nondeformable spherical bubbles, and the boundary element method for deformable bubbles of arbitrary size, given an applied steady flow rate. A steady convection-diffusion equation is then solved numerically to determine the concentration of gas. The bubble volume, or equivalently the gas mass inside the bubble for a constant bubble pressure, is adjusted over time according to the mass flux at the bubble surface. Using a quasi-steady approximation, the evolution of a gas bubble in a tube is obtained. Results show that convection increases the gas pressure gradient at the bubble surface, hence increasing the rate of bubble evolution. Comparing with the result for a single gas bubble in an infinite tissue, the rate of evolution in a tube is approximately twice as fast. Surface tension is also shown to have a significant effect. These findings may have important implications for our understanding of the mechanisms of inert gas bubbles in the circulation underlying decompression sickness.


Soft Matter ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Solano-Altamirano ◽  
John D. Malcolm ◽  
Saul Goldman

Gas bubbles dissolve slower and expand faster in a soft solid elastic medium, relative to a simple (inviscid) liquid medium.


2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
David G. C. Robertson

AbstractDr El-Kaddah used the electromagnetic levitation technique in a number of experimental studies on gas–liquid metal reactions and “containerless melting”. He also studied the electromagnetic levitation process itself, using computer simulation. This paper will discuss two phenomena that Dr El-Kaddah worked on that are still unresolved today – gas bubble nucleation in liquid metals and the degree of mixing in levitated drops.


1977 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph M. Singer ◽  
David M. France ◽  
W.J. Minkowycz

2007 ◽  
Vol 575 ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAEHYUG CHOI ◽  
STEVEN L. CECCIO

The growth and collapse of a cavitation bubble forming within the core of a line vortex was examined experimentally to determine how the dynamics and noise emission of the elongated cavitation bubble is influenced by the underlying non-cavitating vortex properties. A steady line vortex was formed downstream of a hydrofoil mounted in the test section of a recirculating water channel. A focused pulse of laser light was used to initiate a nucleus in the core of a vortex, allowing for the detailed examination of the growth, splitting and collapse of individual cavitation bubbles as they experience a reduction and recovery of the local static pressure. Images of single-bubble dynamics were captured with two pulse-synchronized high-speed video cameras. The shape and dynamics of single vortex cavitation bubbles are compared to the original vortex properties and the local static pressure in the vortex core, and an analysis was performed to understand the relationship between the non-cavitating vortex properties and the diameter of the elongated cavitation bubble. Acoustic emissions from the bubbles were detected during growing, splitting and collapse, revealing that the acoustic impulse created during collapse was four orders of magnitude higher than the noise emission due to growth and splitting. The dynamics and noise generation of the elongated bubbles are compared to that of spherical cavitation bubbles in quiescent flow. These data indicate that the core size and circulation are insufficient to scale the developed vortex cavitation. The non-cavitating vortex circulation and core size are not sufficient to scale the bubble dynamics, even though the single-phase pressure field is uniquely scaled by these parameters. A simple analytical model of the equilibrium state of the elongated cavitation bubble suggests that there are multiple possible equilibrium values of the elongated bubble radius, each with varying tangential velocities at the bubble interface. Thus, the details of the bubble dynamics and bubble–flow interactions will set the final bubble dimensions.


Author(s):  
O. M. Katz

The swelling of irradiated UO2 has been attributed to the migration and agglomeration of fission gas bubbles in a thermal gradient. High temperatures and thermal gradients obtained by electron beam heating simulate reactor behavior and lead to the postulation of swelling mechanisms. Although electron microscopy studies have been reported on UO2, two experimental procedures have limited application of the results: irradiation was achieved either with a stream of inert gas ions without fission or at depletions less than 2 x 1020 fissions/cm3 (∼3/4 at % burnup). This study was not limited either of these conditions and reports on the bubble characteristics observed by transmission and fractographic electron microscopy in high density (96% theoretical) UO2 irradiated between 3.5 and 31.3 x 1020 fissions/cm3 at temperatures below l600°F. Preliminary results from replicas of the as-polished and etched surfaces of these samples were published.


Author(s):  
Higor Veiga ◽  
Edgar Ofuchi ◽  
Henrique Stel ◽  
Ernesto Mancilla ◽  
Dalton Bertoldi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

2015 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 1036-1049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge A. Ramirez ◽  
Andy J. Baird ◽  
Tom J. Coulthard ◽  
J. Michael Waddington

Author(s):  
Arvind Jayaprakash ◽  
Sowmitra Singh ◽  
Georges Chahine

The dynamics of a primary relatively large bubble in a water mixture including very fine bubbles is investigated experimentally and the results are provided to several parallel on-going analytical and numerical approaches. The main/primary bubble is produced by an underwater spark discharge from two concentric electrodes placed in the bubbly medium, which is generated using electrolysis. A grid of thin perpendicular wires is used to generate bubble distributions of varying intensities. The size of the main bubble is controlled by the discharge voltage, the capacitors size, and the pressure imposed in the container. The size and concentration of the fine bubbles can be controlled by the electrolysis voltage, the length, diameter, and type of the wires, and also by the pressure imposed in the container. This enables parametric study of the factors controlling the dynamics of the primary bubble and development of relationships between the bubble characteristic quantities such as maximum bubble radius and bubble period and the characteristics of the surrounding two-phase medium: micro bubble sizes and void fraction. The dynamics of the main bubble and the mixture is observed using high speed video photography. The void fraction/density of the bubbly mixture in the fluid domain is measured as a function of time and space using image analysis of the high speed movies. The interaction between the primary bubble and the bubbly medium is analyzed using both field pressure measurements and high-speed videography. Parameters such as the primary bubble energy and the bubble mixture density (void fraction) are varied, and their effects studied. The experimental data is then compared to simple compressible equations employed for spherical bubbles including a modified Gilmore Equation. Suggestions for improvement of the modeling are then presented.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilly Zacherl ◽  
Thomas Baumann

<p>Scalings in geothermal systems are affecting the efficiency and safety of geothermal systems. An operate-until-fail maintenance scheme might seem appropriate for subsurface installations where the replacement of pumps and production pipes is costly and regular maintenance comprises a complete overhaul of the installations. The situation is different for surface level installations and injection wells. Here, monitoring of the thickness of precipitates is the key to optimized maintenance schedules and long-term operation.</p><p>A questionnaire revealed that operators of geothermal facilities start with a standardized maintenance schedule which is adjusted based on local experience. Sensor networks, numerical modelling and predictive maintenance are not yet applied. In this project we are aiming to close this gap with the development of a non-invasive sensor system coupled to innovative data acquisition and evaluation and an expert system to quantitatively predict the development of precipitations in geothermal systems and open cooling towers.</p><p>Previous investigations of scalings in the lower part of production pipes of a geothermal facility suggest that the disruption of the carbonate equilibrium is triggered by the formation of gas bubbles in the pump and subsequent stripping of CO<sub>2</sub>. Although small in it's overall effect on pH-value and saturation index, significant amounts of precipitates are forming at high volumetric flow rates. To assess the kinetics of gas bubble induced precipitations laboratory experiments were run. The experiment addresses precipitations at surfaces and at the gas bubbles themselves.</p>


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