The mechanism of a bubble production method using controlled gas pressure fluctuation, originally developed by Kariyasaki and Osaka [Trans. JSME, Series B, Vol. 68, No. 674, (2002)], is further investigated using high-speed photography. We found out more appropriate pressure fluctuation than that of Kariyasaki and Osaka in producing single bubble. The radius of bubbles can be varied from about 0.3 to 0.8mm with extremely small standard deviation of less than 1 μm. Shrinking motion of a capillary bridge connecting a bubble and a nozzle was observed in detail. Force balance on a growing bubble which is based on a spherical bubble formation model is also estimated. As a result, we reveal that when gas pressure is decreased the capillary bridge is sucked down into a nozzle and upward added mass force is applied on a bubble, both of which cause the detachment of a bubble from a nozzle.
