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Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Induction of Microstreaming by Nonspherical Bubble Oscillations in an Acoustic Levitation System
Published on: May 9, 2021
Intermittency of Bubble Deformation in Turbulence
Xu Xu1, Yinghe Qi1, Shijie Zhong1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, <a href="https://ror.org/00za53h95">Johns Hopkins University</a>, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
Finite bubbles in intense turbulence deform into complex shapes. Their energy exchange with eddies reveals that interfacial energy transfers from eddies similar in size to the bubble, impacting bubble deformation dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Fluid Dynamics
- Turbulence Research
- Multiphase Flow
Background:
- Finite-sized bubbles in intense turbulence exhibit complex, non-spheroidal deformations.
- Bubble deformation is driven by energy exchange with surrounding turbulent eddies across multiple scales.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bubble deformation dynamics in intense turbulence.
- To analyze the relationship between bubble tip velocity and turbulent eddy interactions.
- To understand the energy transfer mechanisms between deformable bubbles and multiscale eddies.
Main Methods:
- Three-dimensional analysis of the velocity of the most stretched bubble tip.
- Power spectrum analysis of tip velocity.
- Statistical analysis of tip velocity intermittency and distribution.
- Development of a model to explain extreme deformation events.
Main Results:
- Tip velocity power spectrum shows scaling similar to Lagrangian fluid element statistics.
- Energy transfer is primarily from eddies of comparable size to the bubble, modulated by the Weber number.
- Bubble tip velocity is more intermittent than velocity increments, with extreme tails explained by energetic small eddies.
Conclusions:
- Interfacial energy is predominantly sourced from eddies similar in scale to the bubble.
- A model accounting for energetic small eddies explains extreme bubble deformation events.
- Findings offer a framework for understanding energy transfer between deformable objects and turbulent eddies.
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