Coupling between drainage and coarsening in wet foam

Drainage and coarsening are two coupled phenomena during the evolution of wet foam. We show the variation in the growth rate of bubble size, along the height in a column of Gillette shaving foam, by microscope imaging. Simultaneously, the drainage of liquid at the same heights has been investigated by Raman spectroscopic measurements. The observations made in these two sets of experiments indicate the coupling between drainage and coarsening in wet foam. We could explain the correlation between our observed data on drainage and coarsening by the empirical relation, proposed by others, in the literature.     

Rheology of steady-state draining foams

We developed the foam drainage rheology technique in order to perform rheological measurements of aqueous foams at a set liquid fraction epsilon and fixed bubble radius R without the usual difficulties associated with fluid drainage and bubble coarsening. The shear stress exhibits a power-law dependence on strain-rate, tau approximately gamma[over]n where n approximately 0.2. The stress exhibits an inverse dependence on liquid content, tau approximately (1+h'epsilon)(-1), where h'=theta(10) exhibits a diminishing logarithmic trend with gamma[over]. We propose a model based upon film shearing as the dominant source of viscous dissipation.     

An accurate von Neumann's law for three-dimensional foams

The diffusive coarsening of 2D soap froths is governed by von Neumann's law. A statistical version of this law for dry 3D foams has long been conjectured. A new derivation, based on a theorem by Minkowski, yields an explicit analytical von Neumann's law in 3D which is in very good agreement with detailed simulations and experiments. The average growth rate of a bubble with F faces is shown to be proportional to F1/2 for large F, in contrast to the conjectured linear dependence. Accounting for foam disorder in the model further improves the agreement with data.     

竖直矩形通道内液体流动

通过对沸腾气泡在液体中的受力分析,建立了沸腾气泡长大过程的动力学方程;进而获得了沸腾气泡的生长速率与脱离直径的计算方法.采用图象捕集与处理系统,对竖直矩形通道内液体流动沸腾气泡长大与脱离行为进行实验测定,结合模型求解,获得了气泡生长速率、气泡脱离直径、气泡与加热壁面的接触角等参数随操作条件的变化;由模型计算所得的气泡脱离直径与实测值较为符合.     

Late-stage coarsening of adlayers by dynamic cluster coalescence

We consider the late stages of adlayer coarsening when this process is dominated by cluster diffusion and coalescence. The growth rate of the average cluster size can be directly related to the cluster diffusion coefficient of individual clusters. The distribution of cluster sizes and the spatial correlations between clusters are examined as a function of coverage and cluster diffusion rate using Monte Carlo simulations. We also show how the Smoluchowski equation can give an approximate closed-form solution for the cluster size distribution during coarsening by coalescence. The coarsening of adlayers by cluster coalescence in a model that includes local inter-cluster interactions is also examined.     

Dynamics of coarsening foams: accelerated and self-limiting drainage

The evolution of a foam is determined by drainage flow of the continuous (liquid) phase and coarsening (aging) of the dispersed phase (gas bubbles). Free-drainage experiments with slow- and fast-coarsening gases show markedly different dynamics and elucidate the importance of the coupling of the two effects. Strong coarsening leads to drainage times that are shorter (accelerated drainage) and independent of the initial liquid content (self-limiting drainage). A model incorporating the physics of both drainage and diffusive coarsening shows quantitative agreement with experiment.     

Relaxing in foam

We report how aqueous foams lose their elasticity along two trajectories in the jamming phase diagram. With time, bubbles unjam due to coarsening. Rheology is measured over nearly six (five) decades in frequency (time); surprisingly, it is linear and well behaved at low frequencies. With shear, bubbles also unjam. Rheology is measured by a novel method in which a step strain is superposed on an otherwise steady flow; transient elasticity vanishes at the same strain rate at which successive bubble rearrangements merge together. Thus we connect the macroscopic rheology with the underlying microscopic bubble dynamics.     

Computational study on cell structure evolution of random liquid and metal-melt foams

A method for geometrical and topological modeling the evolution of close-cell metallic foams based on the Voronoi tessellation in three-dimensional space is presented. Numerical computations were carried out to examine the evolution of the bubble size distribution and topological and geometric properties of aluminum foams in the liquid state, which were implemented by using McPherson’s new theory on coarsening of microstructures as well as the topological transition rules (T1 and T2 processes) in 3D foams, accounting for remarkable effects of both the gas diffusion and surface tension. Computational results show that the bubble size distributions of metallic foams are strongly coupled to the evolution of the cellular structure and dependent on the gas diffusivity and surface tension. The way of foam coarsening can be expressed as RR ₃₂=−mt ²+1 approximately, and gas diffusion between bubbles dominates the evolution of bubble sizes and foam structures. It is found that the average number of faces per bubble is 〈f〉=13.8, which is in good agreement with the values reported in the literature.     

Pneumatic foam generation in the presence of a high-intensity ultrasound field

Designer foams find applications in a wide range of industries. Foam quality is mostly determined by its complex cellular structure which defines its texture, rheology and stability. In addition to formulation design, the formation process is crucial to the development of a foam with an optimum structure. There is, therefore, a need for techniques that can assist in the generation of controlled foam structures. The work described in this paper demonstrates the potential of using high-intensity ultrasound to control foam structure during production. Foam generated in the presence of ultrasound usually exhibits a narrower bubble size distribution, i.e. a more uniform texture. Such enhanced homogeneity in texture is desirable to reduce the presence of aesthetically unattractive large cavities, and to reduce the destabilising effects of foam coarsening. In addition, a smaller mean bubble size and a slower rate of foam collapse usually result when ultrasound is applied. The work shows the effects on foams stabilised with different surfactants.     

DMFC阳极CO_2气泡生长及脱离特性研究

通过对竖直放置直接甲醇燃料电池水平流道内扩散层壁面上CO_2气泡的受力分析,建立描述气泡生长动力学方程,获得CO_2气泡生长速率和气泡脱离直径的计算方法。计算结果表明:CO_2气泡生长和脱离主要受浮力、曳力、剪切升力和表面张力的控制;气泡生长速率随电流密度和接触环直径的增大而增大;甲醇溶液流速增加,气泡脱离直径变小,且流速对气泡脱离直径的影响随接触环直径减小而变大;电池放电电流密度的变化对气泡脱离直径几乎没有影响;温度和甲醇浓度增加,均使气泡脱离直径略有减小;扩散层表面润湿性越好,气泡的脱离直径越小。     

Dynamics of a vapor bubble in a nonuniformly superheated fluid at high superheat values

Results of numerical simulation of the growth of a vapor bubble in a nonuniformly superheated liquid are presented. The effect of the nonuniformity of the temperature on the growth dynamics of the vapor bubble is studied. The simulation conditions corresponded to saturation and underheating of the liquid in the volume to the saturation temperature. The nonuniformity of the temperature results in a significant decrease of the bubble growth rate at the thickness of the superheating layer, which is comparable with the radius of the separation bubble. Numerical results are compared with the experimental data for the growth of a vapor bubble near a cylindrical heater. The numerical results for strong superheating agree well with the experimental data at the initial stage of the vapor bubble growth. The measured values of the bubble radius exceed those calculated in the presence of vaporization fronts. This excess can be explained by the presence of an additional supply of vapor to the central bubble from the vaporization front.     

Mechanism of coarsening and bubble formation in high-genus nanoporous metals

Coarsening of crystalline nanoporous metals involves complex changes in topology associated with the reduction of genus via both ligament pinch-off and void bubble formation. Although void bubbles in metals are often associated with vacancy agglomeration, we use large-scale kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to show that both bubble formation and ligament pinch-off are natural results of a surface-diffusion-controlled solid-state Rayleigh instability that controls changes in the topology of the porous material during coarsening. This result is used to find an effective activation energy for coarsening in nanoporous metals that is associated with the reduction of topological genus, and not the reduction of local surface roughness.     

A new approach to the continuum modeling of epitaxial growth: slope selection,coarsening, and the role of the uphill current

We develop a new approach to the macroscopic modeling of epitaxial growth, focusing on the slope selection and coarsening observed in spiral-mode growth. Our model distinguishes between the surface height and the surface adatom density. These quantities evolve by a coupled pair of partial differential equations: a Hamilton–Jacobi equation for the height, coupled to a nonlinear diffusion equation for the adatom density. The influence of the Ehrlich–Schwoebel barrier is included through an “uphill current” in the equation for adatom density. Our model predicts slope selection and coarsening—thus it offers a possible mechanism for these effects. The model predicts, in particular, that the coarsening rate depends mainly on the strength of the Ehrlich–Schwoebel barrier.     

局部沸腾液滴内部气泡动态行为研究

本文采用微加热器对液滴进行局部加热,并对其蒸发沸腾现象进行了可视化研究。液滴局部加热后产生局部沸腾现象,内部生成单气泡,气泡附着在加热基板上,持续生长,当达到某个临界点气泡破裂。在加热初期,气泡生长速度很快,随着加热过程的不断进行,气泡的生长速度逐渐放缓;随着气泡生长顺序的不断推迟,最大直径减小;加热功率的提升会增加气泡的生长速度,缩短气泡的生长时间。通过对气泡破裂过程的研究,气泡破碎过程开始于气泡上方的液膜断裂,形成不稳定的瑞利流和向上喷射的液滴,在表面张力的作用下,恢复初始状态,气泡破裂直径大小会影响液滴的波动幅度与周期。     

The influence of Si on the microstructure and sintering behavior of ultrafine WC

The microstructure of sintered nanoscale tungsten carbide powders with 1?wt % Si addition was found to be populated by an abnormally large number of elongated grains. Interrupted sintering experiments were conducted to clarify the origins of the excessive abnormal grain growth seen in the microstructure. It was observed that rapid coarsening occurred at high temperatures owing to the formation of a liquid phase. However, the grain shape evolution during this coarsening period was found to be a consequence of excessive stacking faults and micro twins on the basal planes probably generated by reaction of WC with Si. Analyses of the microstructures and the isothermal and non isothermal coarsening behaviors suggested that the platelet morphology evolved by defect-assisted nucleation and growth on faceted grains. Based on experimental evidence from samples interrupted at low temperatures and crystal growth theories, we discuss the possible mechanisms that eventually led to the rampant platelet-type morphology. Further, the influence of such rapid grain growth on the shrinkage rate during sintering is also discussed. In comparison with the cyclic coarsening-densification process of sintering in pure nanoscale WC, the addition of Si leads to only two distinct sintering stages: either densification dominated or coarsening dominated. Concurrent densification and coarsening cannot be sustained particularly in the presence of a liquid phase that significantly enhances coarsening.     

Annealing Behaviour of Helium Bubbles in Titanium Films by Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy and Positron Beam Analysis

Helium-containing Ti Glms are prepared using magnetron sputtering in the helium-argon atmosphere. Isochronal annealing at different temperatures for an hour is employed to reveal the behaviour of helium bubble growth. Ion beam analysis is used to measure the retained helium content. Helium can release largely when annealing above 970K. A thermal helium desorption spectroscopy system is constructed for assessment of the evolution of helium bubbles in the annealed samples by linear heating （OAK/s） from room temperature to 1500K. Also, Doppler broadening measurements of positron annihilation radiation spectrum are performed by using changeable energy positron beam. Bubble coarsening evolves gradually below 680K, migration and coalescence of small bubbles dominates in the range of 68-970 K, and the Ostwald ripening mechanism enlarges the bubbles with a massive release above 970K.     

Lattice Boltzmann study of three-dimensional immiscible Rayleigh–Taylor instability in turbulent mixing stage

In this paper, we numerically studied the late-time evolutional mechanism of three-dimensional (3D) single-mode immiscible Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) by using an improved lattice Boltzmann multiphase method implemented on graphics processing units. The influences of extensive dimensionless Reynolds numbers and Atwood numbers on phase interfacial dynamics, spike and bubble growth were investigated in details. The longtime numerical experiments indicate that the development of 3D singlemode RTI with a high Reynolds number can be summarized into four different stages: linear growth stage, saturated velocity growth stage, reacceleration stage and turbulent mixing stage. A series of complex interfacial structures with large topological changes can be observed at the turbulent mixing stage, which always preserve the symmetries with respect to the middle axis for a low Atwood number, and the lines of symmetry within spike and bubble are broken as the Atwood number is increased. Five statistical methods for computing the spike and bubble growth rates were then analyzed to reveal the growth law of 3D single-mode RTI in turbulent mixing stage. It is found that the spike late-time growth rate shows an overall increase with the Atwood number, while the bubble growth rate experiences a slight decrease with the Atwood number at first and then basically maintains a steady value of around 0.1. When the Reynolds number decreases, the later stages cannot be reached gradually and the evolution of phase interface presents a laminar flow state.     

Bubble population phenomena in sonochemical reactor: II. Estimation of bubble size distribution and its number density by simple coalescence model calculation

A simple bubble population model, with emphasis on the bubble–bubble coalescence, is proposed. In this model, the bubble size distribution is simulated through the iteration of fundamental bubble population process: generation, dissolution, and coalescence. With this simple modelling, the bubble size distribution experimentally observed by the pulsed laser diffraction method and the void rate obtained by the capillary system at 443 kHz were successfully simulated. The experimental results on the bubble population growth by the repetitive pulsed sonication and the effect of pulse width on the bubble population were recreated by the numerical simulation in a semi-quantitative manner. The importance of coalescence of bubbles especially for the effect of addition of surfactant is demonstrated. By decreasing the coalescence frequency by one order of magnitude in the simulation, both the drastic decrease in the total bubble volume as well as the depression of bubble size distribution centring from a few tens of microns in water to a few microns in a dilute surfactant solution can be simultaneously derived.     

界面润湿性及固相体积分数对颗粒粗化动力学影响的相场法研究

利用多相场模型模拟了液-固两相体系中固相颗粒的粗化过程, 分析了界面润湿性及固相体积分数对粗化指数、粗化速率及颗粒尺寸分布的影响.结果表明, 不同固相体积分数下粗化指数基本不变, 但粗化速率常数及尺寸分布与固相体积分数及界面润湿性密切相关.在完全润湿条件下, 随着固相体积分数的增加, 粗化速率常数逐渐增大; 而非完全润湿条件下, 随着固相体积分数的增加, 粗化速率常数增大速度变缓, 且当润湿性较低、 固相分数较大时, 粗化速率常数还将随体积分数的增加而下降. 此外, 模拟结果表明各种润湿条件下颗粒的尺寸分布均随着固相分数增加而变宽, 分布峰值降低, 但非完全润湿条件下峰值下降变缓.模拟结果为理解不同实验观测结果之间的分歧提供了依据. 关键词： 粗化 相转变 相场法 润湿性