Settling Behavior of Particles in Bubble Containing Newtonian Fluids: Experimental Study and Model Development

Accurate description of cuttings slippage in the gas-liquid phase is of great significance for wellbore cleaning and the control accuracy of bottom hole pressure during MPD. In this study, the wellbore bubble flow environment was simulated by a constant pressure air pump and the transparent wellbore, and the settling characteristics of spherical particles under different gas volume concentrations were recorded and analyzed by highspeed photography. A total of 225 tests were conducted to analyze the influence of particle diameter (1–12mm), particle density (2700–7860kg/m^3), liquid viscosity and bubble volume concentration on particle settling velocity. Gas drag force is defined to quantitatively evaluate the bubble’s resistance to particle slippage. The relationship between bubble drag coefficient and particle Reynolds number is obtained by fitting the experimental results. An explicit settling velocity equation is established by introducing Archimedes number. This explicit equation with an average relative error of only 8.09% can directly predict the terminal settling velocity of the sphere in bubble containing Newtonian fluids. The models for predicting bubble drag coefficient and the terminal settling velocity are valid with particle Reynolds number ranging from 0.05 to 167 and bubble volume concentration ranging from 3.0% to 20.0%. Besides, a trial-and-error procedure and an illustrative example are presented to show how to calculate bubble drag coefficient and settling velocity in bubble containing fluids. The results of this study will provide the theoretical basis for wellbore cleaning and accurate downhole pressure to further improve the performance of MPD in treating gas influx.

Linear Iterative Procedure to Solve a Rayleigh–Plesset Equation

A nonlinear Rayleigh–Plesset equation for describing the behavior of a gas bubble in an acoustic field written in terms of bubble-volume variation is solved through a linear iterative procedure. The model is validated, and its accuracy and fast convergence are shown through the analysis of several examples of different physical meanings. The simplicity and usefulness of the presented method here in relation to the direct resolution of the whole nonlinear system, which is also discussed, make the method very attractive to solving a problem. This iterative method allows us to solve only linear systems instead of the nonlinear differential problem. Moreover, the implementation of the iterative algorithm includes a tolerance-dependent stopping criterion that is also tested.

Bubble mapping with the Square Kilometre Array – I. Detecting galaxies with Euclid, JWST, WFIRST, and ELT within ionized bubbles in the intergalactic medium at z > 6

ABSTRACT The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is expected to provide the first tomographic observations of the neutral intergalactic medium at redshifts z > 6 and pinpoint the locations of individual ionized bubbles during early stages of cosmic reionization. In scenarios where star-forming galaxies provide most of the ionizing photons required for cosmic reionization, one expects the first ionized bubbles to be centred on overdensities of such galaxies. Here, we model the properties of galaxy populations within isolated, ionized bubbles that SKA-1 should be able to resolve at z ≈ 7–10, and explore the prospects for galaxy counts within such structures with various upcoming near-infrared telescopes. We find that, for the bubbles that are within reach of SKA-1 tomography, the bubble volume is closely tied to the number of ionizing photons that have escaped from the galaxies within. In the case of galaxy-dominated reionization, galaxies are expected to turn up above the spectroscopic detection threshold of JWST and ELT in even the smallest resolvable bubbles at z ≤ 10. The prospects of detecting galaxies within these structures in purely photometric surveys with Euclid, WFIRST, JWST, or ELT are also discussed. While spectroscopy is preferable towards the end of reionization to provide a robust sample of bubble members, multiband imaging may be a competitive option for bubbles at z ≈ 10, due to the very small number of line-of-sight interlopers expected at these redshifts.

Rubber Foam Processing via Bubbling Technique

Natural rubber foams are currently produced by the two well-known processes of Dunlop and Talalay. Dunlop process, however, requires a high-speed Hobart Mixer to generate a high bubble-volume, while Talalay is complexity and expensive technique. Here, a simple and inexpensive technique for rubber foam production was introduced. The process involved air flowing with a constant flow rate through a porous diffuser, firmly connected to the bubble column containing compound latex, to generate a high bubble-volume. Microstructure of the as-produced rubber foams was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), in comparison with that of the purchased Dunlop foam. Spherical cell shape with a uniform interconnected-cell structure was gained from the bubbled foams, while fractured-cell structure was obtained from the Dunlop foam.

The Effect of Nitrogen Bubbles on Microstructure of Natural Rubber Foams Produced by Bubbling Process

Natural rubber latex foam (NRF) was produced using nitrogen bubbling process. The process involved flowing of nitrogen with a constant flow rate of 80 cc/min through a bubble column, filled with latex compound, to generate a high bubble-volume inside the column. Microstructure of the finished product was examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), in comparison with that of the purchased Dunlop foam. The results showed characteristic of the as-produced foam that they composed of spherical pores with a uniform interconnected-cell structures. On the other hand, the Dunlop foam exhibited non-spherical pores and non-uniform cell structure with broken cells.

Thermohydrodynamic Analysis of High-Speed Water-Lubricated Spiral Groove Thrust Bearing Using Cavitating Flow Model

A thermohydrodynamic lubrication model of turbulent cavitating flow for high-speed spiral groove thrust bearing was developed considering the effects of cavitation, turbulence, inertia, breakage, and coalescence of bubbles. Comparing with the classical thermohydrodynamic model, this model can predict not only the distributions of pressure and temperature rise but also the distribution of bubble volume and bubble number density. Static characteristics of the water-lubricated spiral groove thrust bearing in the state of turbulent cavitating flow were analyzed, and the influences of multiple effects on the static characteristics of the bearing were researched. The numerical calculation result shows that the bubbles are mainly distributed in inlet and outlet of the spiral groove, the distribution of bubble volume is skewed under the equilibrium state, and small bubbles account for a large proportion of the cavitating flow under high-speed condition. Furthermore, the load carrying capacity and the leakage flow of the bearing decrease due to the effect of cavitation under high-speed. The maximum temperature rise of the bearing decreases due to the effect of cavitation effect.

The Correction and Evaluation of Cavitation Model considering the Thermodynamic Effect

Two cavitation models with thermodynamic effects were established based on the Rayleigh-Plesset equation to predict accurately the cavitation characteristics in the high-temperature fluid. The evaporation and the condensation coefficient of the cavitation model were corrected. The cavitation flow of NACA0015 airfoil was calculated using the modified cavitation model, where the influence of the thermodynamic effects of airfoil cavitation was analyzed. The result showed that the pressure coefficient distribution and the bubble volume fraction simulated have the same tendency of Zwart-Gerber-Belamri model’s result. According to the experimental data, the two models provide more accurate results. At the room temperature, the values of dpv/dT obtained by the two improved models are approximately equal. The difference between the two models’ results increases gradually with the temperature increasing, but it is still small. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental data when the evaporation coefficient is 10 and 1. When the evaporation coefficient is 1, the bubble growth is inhibited, the volume fraction becomes lower, and the cavitation area becomes flat. As the temperature increases, the cavitation area and the bubble volume fraction at airfoil front edge become larger, showing that the temperature plays a “catalytic” role in the cavitation process.