A simple model for frothy fluids
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A mathematical model for the flow of a frothy fluid is developed in this paper, based on a two-component system containing air and water. For simplicity, attention is focused upon uni-directional pipe flow, and it is shown that there is a deep analogy between this model and classical gas dynamics. The system can be reduced to two governing partial differential equations. An effective “equation of state” is derived for the bubbly fluid and given in an analogous form to classical gas dynamics. It predicts the much-reduced sound speed observed experimentally. The jump conditions at a normal shock are presented, and a novel shock-capturing spectral method is derived and applied to an example of shock formation for uni-directional flow in a frothy fluid.
Source: Physics of Fluids
DOI: 10.1063/5.0308303
Authors: Lawrence K. Forbes, Stephen J. Walters
Institution: University of Tasmania
Language: English
Subfield: Computational Mechanics
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7154263836