The present work reports a study of bubble generation under reduced gravity conditions for both co-flow and cross-flow configurations. Experiments were performed aboard the DC-9 Reduced Gravity Aircraft at NASA Glenn Research Center, using an air-water system. Three different flow tube diameters were used: 1.27, 1.9, and 2.54 cm. Two different ratios of air injection nozzle to tube diameters were considered: 0.1 and 0.2. Gas and liquid volumetric flow rates were varied from 10 to 200 ml/s. It was experimentally observed that with increasing superficial liquid velocity, the bubbles generated decreased in size. The bubble diameter was shown to increase with increasing air injection nozzle diameters. As the tube diameter was increased, the size of the detached bubbles increased. Likewise, as the superficial liquid velocity was increased, the frequency of bubble formation increased and thus the time to detach forming bubbles decreased. Independent of the flow configuration (for either single nozzle or multiple nozzle gas injection), void fraction and hence flow regime transition can be controlled in a somewhat precise manner by solely varying the gas and liquid volumetric flow rates. On the other hand, it is observed that uniformity of bubble size can be controlled more accurately by using single nozzle gas injection than by using multiple port injection, since this latter system gives rise to unpredictable coalescence of adjacent bubbles. A theoretical model, based on an overall force balance, is employed to study single bubble generation in the dynamic and bubbly flow regime. Under conditions of reduced gravity, the gas momentum flux enhances bubble detachment; however, the surface tension forces at the nozzle tip inhibits bubble detachment. Liquid drag and inertia can act either as attaching or detaching force, depending on the relative velocity of the bubble with respect to the surrounding liquid. Predictions of the theoretical model compare well with performed expe

This 2001 book provides a thorough review of the motion of bubbles and drops in reduced gravity.

Reynolds number relation to single noncondensable bubble motion under low gravity conditions.

Knowledge of the physical mechanisms governing bubble dynamics and two-phase heat transfer is critical in order to accurately predict and scale the performance of two-phase systems, most importantly in low-g environments. To better understand flow boiling, especially under microgravity conditions, the dynamics of single and multiple bubbles under different levels of bulk liquid velocity, surface orientation, contact angle, and substrate materials are studied in this work. Microfabricated cavities at the center of a flat heating surface are used to generate bubbles. Silicon and aluminum are used as substrate materials, with contact angles of 56° and 19°, respectively, with water as test liquid. The investigated bulk liquid velocities ranged from 0 m/s to 0.25 m/s, while surface orientation varies from horizontal to vertical, through 30°, 45° and 60°, and cavity spacing from 0.4 mm to 1.2 mm, in upflow conditions. Bulk liquid temperature was set close to saturation temperature, with bulk liquid subcooling less than 1° C, and wall superheat was maintained between 5.0° C and 6.0 °C. Based on the experimental data, a simple force balance model was developed, and is used to develop a model to predict bubble lift off. These forces are the lift force (F_b), the buoyancy force (F_b), the surface tension force (F_s), the contact pressure force (F_cp), and the inertia of both the vapor and the liquid displaced by the growing bubble. It is showed that at the instant when bubble lift off is initiated, the sum of forces acting on the bubble is equal to zero (and then becomes positive in the direction normal to the heater). This force balance is used to develop an expression for bubble lift off diameter. It also is found that for single and merged bubbles, when lift off occurs, buoyancy and lift forces are the only forces acting on the bubble, regardless of orientation, contact angle and flow velocity, and that for all cases, the ratio (F_b + F1) / A1 is constant and equal to 2.25 N/m2, where A1 is the bubble surface area at lift off.