Modelling of the electric field effect on an injected air bubble

In order to control boiling by electric fields in microgravity applications, the prediction of electric field and gravity level influence on bubble formation is essential. However, the study of boiling bubble is complex since heat and mass transfer mechanisms are coupled to bubble dynamic. Consequently, behaviour of a single injected gas bubble has been studied in the last years. Previous visualizations of a single air bubble injected into PF5052 have been carried out in terrestrial and microgravity conditions by Herman et al. (2002), under isothermal conditions. A static electric field has been applied between a bottom electrode, where the bubble is injected, and a top electrode. In the present work, the influence of the electric field on the previous experimental bubbles has been studied. In order to identify the mechanisms responsible for the electric field effect on bubble behavior, 2D electric field distribution in the test cell has been simulated with different electrode configurations. Both terrestrial and microgravity bubbles during formation, at and after detachment, have been studied and the 2D electric force applied to the bubble has been calculated