Thermocapillary Bubble Movement in a Vibrating Fluid Inside a Rotating Cylinder

In a zero-gravity environment, single bubble migration under forced vibrations in a rotating cylindrical vessel is investigated numerically using Ansys Fluent software. In order to track the bubble-liquid interface, the volume of fluid (VOF) method is applied. Bubble dynamics are discussed only when thermocapillary force is considered, then compared to two cases where either vibration or rotation is added. The impact of the three forces together is analyzed. Different flow patterns are observed. A small change in vibration parameters (amplitude and frequency), as well as angular velocity, always leads to bubble deceleration compared to the cases where only thermocapillary force is applied. This bubble velocity reduction is accentuated for high vibration amplitudes and angular velocity. The Rossby number was also found to decrease with higher rotational velocity, greater vibration amplitude, and increased bubble diameter. In addition, the bubble size strongly influences migration time.