Buoyant Velocity of Spherical and Nonspherical Bubbles/Droplets

Abstract

An integrated formulation is presented to calculate the buoyant velocity of bubbles/droplets of various sizes. The bubble/droplet shape can be a sphere, ellipsoid, or a spherical-cap. This formulation can be applied to solids, liquids, or gases. The comparison of the calculated results with experimental data shows a good match and that the formulation presented is better than the Stokes law and Reynolds law combination when dealing with bubbles/droplets in a wider range of sizes. This work was developed in connection with oil and gas spill models that have buoyant oil, gas, or gas hydrates, although they can also be applied to other hydraulic engineering problems.