Bubbly flow undergoing a steep pressure gradient

The effects of a steep pressure gradient on bubbly flow were studied to determine the cause of noise emanating from components of a piping system. We used an orifice to generate a local pressure difference. The behavior of bubbles passing through the orifice was observed by using a video camera, and the noise was measured by a condenser microphone outside the pipe. It was found that the sound pressure level of noise generated by a bubbly flow was proportional to the pressure difference. An empirical formula for estimating noise level is proposed. The changes in size and number of bubbles passing through an orifice were found related to the breakup, which is affected by pressure difference rather than airflow rate. The breakup of a single bubble undergoing a steep pressure difference was observed to determine the mechanism of sound generation. It was found that a bubble was broken by impingement of an inward protrusion in the bubble. The growth rate of the protrusion depended on the pressure difference.