Numerical simulation of bubble growth in a limited amount of liquid

In this study, we examined the growth of a spherical bubble in a limited amount of liquid by using a finite‐element‐based numerical simulation method. The bubble growth was assumed to be controlled by both momentum and mass transfer. A truncated power‐law constitutive equation was used to describe the rheology of the melt. The gas inside the bubble followed the ideal gas law. The gas concentration at the bubble surface obeyed Henry's law. A computer code was programmed to solve the equations with the Galerkin method. A backward Euler scheme was used to discretize time. Grids were remeshed after each incremental time step to ensure the accuracy of the numerical results. The bubble growth process was simulated with the code. The numerical results, such as the instantaneous bubble size, gas pressure inside the bubble, and gas concentration profile in the liquid, were predicted. The influences of the liquid volume, initial gas pressure, temperature, and rheology of the melt on bubble growth were also studied. The results of the bubble growth simulation in this study were in satisfactory agreement with others' work. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010