Coalescence cell

Small scale · Work package b and c

The coalescence rig: backlit rectangular cell with two opposed capillaries, and the syringe pump beside it

The facility is dedicated to studying how bubbles interact and merge, a key phenomenon in many industrial gas–liquid processes. It features a transparent rectangular cell where two opposed capillaries generate pairs of bubbles under controlled conditions. By adjusting capillary size, spacing, and gas flow rate, the setup can reproduce a wide range of interaction scenarios.

A high-speed camera (up to 6000 fps) and a backlit optical system capture the fast dynamics of the bubbles as they approach, touch, bounce, or coalesce. Advanced image-analysis routines then identify each event and measure quantities such as coalescence percentage, approach velocity, and coalescence time.

As part of the AURIGA project, the facility is used to characterize ionic-liquid mixtures, enabling controlled experiments that reveal how these fluids influence bubble interactions and coalescence behaviour.

This environment provides accurate, reproducible measurements and supports both fundamental research and the development of reliable models for gas–liquid systems.

Measurement set-up

Scheme of the coalescence rig: syringe pump feeding two opposed capillaries in the cell, LED backlight panel and high-speed camera connected to a computer
CAD view of the coalescence cell

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