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Distilled water fills the bucket and the L shaped clear imaging module. The pump, attached to the bucket, pulls water from the imaging module, and pours it back into the bucket, allowing for re circulation.
A sparger, metal or ceramic, is a porous material that produces tiny bubbles when pressurized air is forced through. It can be positioned horizontally and vertically in the imaging module, allowing for clear images to be taken during data collection. A light source shining from the side allows for illumination of the bubbles. In the image on the right, you can see the white ceramic sparger positioned horizontally at L shape junction. The sparger can also be positioned upright for the vertical test. The back is lined with black vinyl to increase background contrast in the images.
This section (left), made with PVC adapters and custom 3D parts, allows for vertical access to the imaging chamber.
Small modifications like this support block and tube holder help keep everything steady and centered during experimentation.
On the left is a video of the metal sparger in the testing tank. The airflow is set to 300 mL/min, and the water pump is pulling the water upwards at 25 gallons per hour.
Final Experimental Results
Final Experimental Results
For a more detailed description on experimental conditions, please refer to the final report.
The horizontal ceramic sparger running at high air flow (1000mL/min) produced the best results, as 98.6% of the bubbles produced met the functional requirements of bubble diameter. The average size of the bubbles produced even reached the ideal outcome, measuring 20 microns in diameter.
Factors that reduce bubble size in our setup:
Pore size (smaller pore size → smaller bubble diameter)
Orientation (centered horizontal produced smaller bubbles)
Airflow (higher airflow → smaller bubble diameter)
Flowing water (faster water → bigger bubbles)
Viscosity (thicker liquid → less bubbles, but smaller bubble diameter)
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