Experimental and numerical simulation research on the transport process of bubble clusters in aeration system

Improving gas-liquid mass transfer efficiency in aeration systems contributes to energy savings, cost reduction, and enhanced efficiency in wastewater treatment. However, due to the complex nonlinear interactions among bubbles in turbulence, understanding the transport mechanisms of non-uniform bubble clusters in turbulence remains unclear. This study employs a combined approach of experimental research and numerical simulations to investigate the shape, diameter distribution, trajectory, and velocity of bubbles under different aeration port sizes and flow rates. The diameter distribution of bubble clusters exhibits a bimodal distribution. Bubble trajectories during ascent mainly exhibit two types of motion patterns: "Z" shaped and linear. Increasing aeration port size and flow rate both lead to an increase in the maximum bubble diameter. Higher initial flow rates and smaller port sizes induce greater lateral velocity fluctuations in bubbles. The proposed numerical simulation method serves as a reference for simulating the transport of non-uniform bubble clusters.