Measurement of bubble parameters in opaque fluids using ultrasound transit time technique

The mapping of the fluid flow and the detection of bubbles is very important for opaque fluids, like liquid metals. In these cases ultrasound techniques can be used. Especially the ultrasound transit time technique (UTTT) possesses advantages for studying the bubble distribution or the contour dynamics. In order to validate UTTT with standard optical methods, we started with experiments of single Argon bubbles rising in water. The trajectory, the diameter, the terminal velocity and the tilting of the bubbles were measured simultaneously with UTTT and with a high speed camera. The results of both measurements techniques showed a good agreement.
After these calibration measurements first experiments of Ar bubbles rising in GaInSn were performed. In these experiments the bubble behavior was investigated for different magnitudes of a DC magnetic field in horizontal direction. The parameters of the bubble as well as the velocity of the bubble and of the wake were recorded simultaneously by UTTT and Ultrasound Doppler Velocimetry (UDV), respectively. The results of these measurements were compared with independent measurements using X-ray radiography, which visualized the entire trajectory of the bubble without an applied magnetic field.
The results of the UTTT measurements are shown in Figure 1). The measured bubble position xB and bubble diameter dB of one bubble are shown without (left) and with an applied magnetic field of 500 mT (right). Without magnetic _eld the bubble shows a zig-zag trajectory with an amplitude larger than 4 mm and the measured bubble diameter alternates during the rise between values of 3.4 mm up to 4.9 mm, which is inflicted by the tilting of the bubble during the zig-zag rise. For an applied magnetic field of 500 mT is the bubble trajectory straightened and the diameters show regular behavior around 5.3 mm. The shapes of the diameter curves without applied field are more irregular, indicating the tilting of an ellipsoidal bubble. The diameter curves with 500 mT have a near parabolic shape, so we can assume that there is nearly no tilting. Independent x-ray measurements on the same vessel visualized also the zigzag rise and a tilting of the bubble. These results are in good agreement with the UTTT data.