Direct numerical simulations of three-dimensional bubbly flows

The results of a simulation of the motion of 91 fully deformable buoyant bubbles rising at a Reynolds number of 25 are presented. The motion of the bubbles is calculated by the finite difference/front tracking method. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved by a second-order projection method, using centered differences on a fixed, staggered grid. The simulation allows the identification of the dominant interaction mechanisms between the bubbles and to understand the microstructure of the bubble distribution.