Effect of cylinders on the characteristics of a fine-bubble plume

Abstract

The characteristics of a fine-bubble plume passing through two tandem cylinders are investigated. Fine-bubbles with a mean diameter of 0.055 mm are released by water electrolysis from electrodes placed at the bottom of a tank. They induce an upward water flow around them with rising due to buoyancy. Orthogonally to the axis of such fine–bubble plume, two cylinders with a diameter D of 30 mm are arranged in tandem. The distance between the cylinders, L, ranges between 1.5D and 3D. This study visualizes the bubbles and water flow around the cylinders. It also measures the bubble velocity distribution. The experiments reveal the water and bubble shear layers originating at the sides of the lower cylinder and make clear their behavior around the upper cylinder. This study elucidates the effects of L on the characteristics of the fine-bubble plume, such as the stagnant bubbly flow and the bubbly wake around the cylinders.