Study of Pressure Wave Propagation in a Two-Phase Bubbly Mixture

Background: Bubbly flows are used in a wide variety of applications and require accurate modeling. In this paper three modeling approaches are investigated using the geometrically simple configuration of a gas bubble strongly oscillating in a bubbly medium. Method of Approach: A coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian, a multi-component compressible, and an analytical approach are compared for different void fractions. Results: While the homogeneous mixture models (analytical and multi-component) compare well with each other, the Eulerian-Lagrangian model captures additional features and inhomogeneities. The discrete bubbles appear to introduce localized perturbations in the void fraction and the pressure distributions not captured by homogeneous mixture models. Conclusion: The bubbly mixture impedes the growth and collapse of the primary bubble while wavy patterns in the velocity, pressure, and void fraction fields propagate in space and time