Integral momentum balance on a growing bubble

The integral momentum balance on a growing boiling bubble is investigated. All forces acting on the bubble are detailed, and the methods and assumptions used to calculate their integral resultants are discussed. The momentum balance computation is then performed using experimental data of bubbles growing on an artificial nucleation site in a controlled environment. The relative magnitude of each force component is compared, showing negligible dynamic forces, upwards forces composed mainly of the buoyancy and contact pressure components, and downwards forces being exclusively due to surface tension and adhesion. The difficulty encountered in measuring the apparent contact angle due to mirage effects has been highlighted; a new method, fitting numerically simulated bubble profile to the contour measurements has been proposed and used to correct the effects of refraction on the bubble profile determination. As all forces acting on the bubble were measured, it was possible to estimate the residuals of the momentum balance. Their small value validated both the expressions used for the forces and the methodology to evaluate their value.