Do bubbles heat up as they collapse?

In summary, the video says that cavitation bubbles can heat up a lot and this could explain how FredGarvin's "bubbles momentarily reach the temperature of the sun"
  • #1
KingNothing
882
4
In the video at http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/108195/Real_Life_Creature_Assassin.html

they say something about the "bubbles momentarily reach the temperature of the sun". I don't understand this bit at all, or how this mechanism works.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Science news on Phys.org
  • #2
If you're referring to cavitation bubbles, it can increase in temperature quite a bit. Here is a great on-line reference for bubble dynamics and cavitation:

When a cavitation bubble grows from a small nucleus to many times its original size, the collapse will begin at a maximum radius, RM, with a partial pressure of gas, pGM, which is very small indeed. In a typical cavitating flow RM is of the order of 100 times the original nuclei size, Ro. Consequently, if the original partial pressure of gas in the nucleus was about 1 bar the value of pGM at the start of collapse would be about 10-6 bar. If the typical pressure depression in the flow yields a value for (p∞*-p∞(0)) of, say, 0.1 bar it would follow from Equation 2.38 that the maximum pressure generated would be about 1010 bar and the maximum temperature would be 4×104 times the ambient temperature! Many factors, including the diffusion of gas from the liquid into the bubble and the effect of liquid compressibility, mitigate this result. Nevertheless, the calculation illustrates the potential for the generation of high pressures and temperatures during collapse and the potential for the generation of shock waves and noise.

http://caltechbook.library.caltech.edu/1/04/chap3.htm#L1

Here is the TOC of the book:
http://caltechbook.library.caltech.edu/1/04/content.htm

This is a highly specialized field of study. I won't pretend to know anything except the very elemental aspects so I can't get into the deep physics of what is going on.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #3
The surface temperature of the sun is about 5800 degK i.e. about 20 times the ambient surface temperature of the earth, so FredGarvin's factor of "4x10^4 times the ambient temperature" is more than enough to make the initial statement plausible.
 
  • #4
Just from first principles:

- as a bubble decreases to zero radius, the internal pressure increases infinitly (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/surten2.html#c2").

- the shrinking of the bubble involves the condensation of gas into the surrounding liquid, which is a heating process (opposite of evaporation).

From this I'm naively (neglecting the atomic scale) tempted to conclude that the bubble remains at a "boiling temperature" that with pressure goes also to infinity as the bubble collapses.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

1. What causes bubbles to collapse?

Bubbles collapse due to the pressure difference between the air inside the bubble and the surrounding liquid. As the bubble rises to the surface, the pressure decreases, causing the bubble to shrink and eventually collapse.

2. Do bubbles heat up as they collapse?

Yes, bubbles do heat up as they collapse. This is due to the energy released during the collapse process, known as cavitation. The energy is converted into heat, causing the temperature of the bubble to increase.

3. How much do bubbles heat up when they collapse?

The amount of heat generated during the collapse of a bubble depends on various factors, such as the size of the bubble and the type of liquid it is in. Generally, the temperature of the bubble can increase by thousands of degrees Celsius during the collapse process.

4. Can bubbles reach extremely high temperatures when they collapse?

Yes, under certain conditions, bubbles can reach temperatures as high as the surface of the sun when they collapse. This is due to the intense energy released during the collapse process, which can cause the formation of plasma.

5. Is there any practical application for studying bubble collapse and its heating effects?

Yes, understanding bubble collapse and its heating effects has practical applications in fields such as biomedical engineering and material science. For example, it can be used to improve ultrasound technology and develop new materials that can withstand extreme temperatures.

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Thermodynamics
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
458
Replies
9
Views
720
  • Thermodynamics
Replies
28
Views
1K
Replies
78
Views
3K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
999
Replies
1
Views
757
Replies
32
Views
2K
Back
Top