Numerical modelling of bubble dynamics and growth in supersaturated water using a Front-Tracking method

Understanding and controlling bubble formation are of key importance for designing efficient electrochemical processes such as hydrogren production. In aqueous electrolytic solutions, bubble formation and the resulting void fraction have been found to be a function of the supersaturation. In addition, as the bubbles grow and rise, surface tension gradients along the interface are generated by species concentration gradients and/or surface active agents, which affect the bubbles dynamics (Marangoni stresses). In this study, we use the open-source platform OpenFOAM to solve the one-fluid formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations as well as the transport of dissolved gases in the aqueous solution and we present an interface-tracking method (Level Contour Reconstruction Method) to model two-phase flows. Benchmarks are used to show the accuracy of the method to simulate capillary driven flows as well as variable surface tension flows. 3D numerical simulations are then performed to study the effects of supersaturation of solutions on the bubble dynamics and its wake.