Numerical study on the asymmetric breakup behavior of bubbles in Y-shaped branching microchannels

Microfluidic technology based on microchannel two-phase flow has been widely used. The precise control of the bubble or droplet size in the channel plays a crucial role in designing the microfluidic systems. In this work, the bubble breakup behavior in Y-shaped microchannel is reconstructed based on the volume of fluid method (VOF), and the effects of bubble dimensionless size (1.2–2.7), outlet flow ratio (1–4) and main channel Reynolds number (100–600) on the bubble breakup behavior are systematically investigated. The bubble asymmetric breakup process is found to be divided into three stages: extension stage, squeeze stage, and rapid pinch-off stage. In the case of small initial bubble size or relatively high outlet flow rate, the bubble does not break, but only experiences the extension stage and the squeezing stage. Four flow patterns of bubble breakup are further revealed for the bubbles with different sizes and outlet flow ratios: tunnel-tunnel breakup, obstruction-obstruction breakup, tunnel-obstruction breakup, and non-breakup. With the increase of outlet flow ratio, the breakup process of the bubble gradually becomes asymmetrical, and the flow pattern shifts along the tunnel-tunnel breakup and the obstruction-obstruction breakup, gradually turns toward the tunnel-obstruction breakup and non-breakup. On this basis, the critical flow ratio of bubble breakup and the variation of daughter bubble volume ratio with outlet flow ratio are obtained for different Reynolds numbers and initial bubble sizes, and the corresponding criterion correlation equation is refined, which can provide theoretical guidance for accurately regulating the daughter bubble size after breakup.