How do various forces affect pressure waves in bubbly flows?

Abstract

This study investigated the weakly nonlinear propagation of pressure waves in compressible, flowing water with spherical microbubbles, considering various forces. Previous theoretical studies on nonlinear pressure waves in bubbly flows did not consider the forces acting on the bubbles, although the validity of ignoring these forces has not been demonstrated. We focused on every possible force such as drag, gravity, buoyancy, and Bjerknes (acoustic radiation) forces acting on bubbles and studied their effects on pressure waves in a one-dimensional setting. Using a singular perturbation method, the Korteweg–de Vries–Burgers equation describing wave propagation was derived. The following results were obtained: (i) Bjerknes force on the bubbles enhanced the nonlinearity, dissipation, and dispersion of the waves; (ii) Drag, gravity, and buoyancy forces acting on the bubbles increased wave dissipation; (iii) Thermal conduction had the most substantial dissipation effect, followed by acoustic radiation, drag, buoyancy, and gravity. We confirmed that the dissipation due to forces on gas bubbles was quantitatively minor.