Image analysis of a pulsating vapour bubble

A technique is presented that enables flow quantities such as the pressure, surface velocity potential and normal surface velocity of a single vapour bubble evolving near a rigid boundary to be determined unobtrusively from its shape history. To achieve this, high-speed ciné film images of the bubble's motion are digitally analysed and the normal surface velocity determined. Application of the boundary integral method enables the potential field, and by use of the Bernoulli equation the pressure field, to be recreated.