Vibration-Induced Degasification of Trapped Gas From the Liquids: Low-Cost Solution

Abstract During the processing, transferring, and handling of liquids, a lot of changes occur such as pressure change, temperature change, and chemical reactivities. These changes often result in the formulation or detachment of gas which remains stuck inside the liquid in the form of bubbles. The formation of bubbles in liquids causes variations in pressure and volume resulting in poor processing and are difficult to remove. This bubble formation phenomenon is widespread during the processing of water, wax of candles, aluminum castings, epoxy adhesives, lubricants, coatings, drinks, polymers, emulsions, and suspension products. Moreover, medical applications such as droplet digital polymerase chain reaction require the precise removal of trapped bubbles for its successful completion. This current work investigated the effectiveness of a low-cost bubble removal method (degasification) from water through vibrations. Two metal plates, each with distinct surface roughness values (Ra = 0.89μm & Ra = 1.6μm), were immersed in a boiling water beaker. They were then subjected to various vibration frequencies to investigate the removal of gas bubbles. During boiling, gas trapped inside the water separated into bubbles, adhering to the metal plates similar to heat exchangers or vessels. These bubbles are removed using vibrations applied to the plates. From experimentation, it has been found that the metallic plate with lower surface roughness removed bubbles more rapidly than the other. Furthermore, among the seven vibration frequencies tested (20, 50, 70, 100, 150, 200, & 250Hz), a frequency of 150Hz proved most effective for both plates. This concluded that for efficient degasification, a lower surface roughness area coupled with a vibration frequency of 150Hz is optimal.