Momentum transfer from a shock wave to a bubbly liquid

Abstract

The transfer of momentum from shock waves of various intensities (from 0.05 to 0.5 MPa) to a water column containing air bubbles of a mean diameter of 2.5 mm is studied both experimentally and by numerical simulation. The experiments are performed in a vertical hydrodynamic shock tube with a rectangular cross section of 50 × 100 mm and a length of 1980 mm. The tube consists of a 495-mm-long high-pressure section, 495-mm-long low-pressure section, and 990-mm-long test section filled with water and equipped with a bubble generator. Experiments have demonstrated that, as the gas content in the water increases from 0 to 30 vol %, the momentum transferred from the shock wave to the bubbly water increases smoothly, leveling off at a volumetric gas content of 20–25%. The experimental and 2D-simulation dependences of the shock wave velocity and the velocity of the bubbly liquid behind the shock wave front on the volumetric gas content are in close agreement.