The bubble formation under the influence of orifice diameter submerged
in yield-stress fluids was studied numerically using a coupled level-set
(LS) and the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method and was in contrast with
that seen in Newtonian fluids. The bubble formation process had a
good consistency by virtue of comparing numerical simulation and experiment.
The process of bubble formation could be divided into two parts, bubble
expansion stage and stretch stage. The influence of orifice diameter
and liquid rheological characteristics (consistency coefficient, flow
index, and yield stress) on the bubble formation parameters (the bubble
formation time, detachment volume, and aspect ratio) was investigated.
The results revealed that the bubble detachment volume increases with
the increase of orifice diameter, consistency coefficient, flow index,
and yield stress. In different kinds of fluids, the formation time
and detachment volume of bubbles in the shear-thinning fluid were
the lowest, followed by the Newtonian fluid, and finally, in yield-stress
fluids.