MODELING THE OBSERVATIONS OF INVIVO BUBBLE FORMATION WITH HYDROPHOBIC CREVICES

  • 1 June 1986
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 13  (2) , 165-180
Abstract
In vivo hydrophobic crevices from which bubbles emerge upon decompression are hypothesized to account for experimental observations of bubble formation in decompressed shrimp. The conical crevice model can be used to explain the sharp increase in the number of bubbles in shrimp for decompression ratios greater than 4:1. In accordance withthe observed attenuating effects of pressure pretreatment on bubble formation in shrimp, the model can also be used to explain: (a) the evolution of the gas nuclei to smaller stable sizes during compression; (b) the return of the nuclei to their original stable configurations when the overpressure is removed; and (c) the requirement for greater decompressions to cause emergence of bubbles from the nuclei as the magnitude and period of pressure pretreatment are increased. A new crevice geometry with elliptically shaped walls is introduced which reduces the height of the crevice needed for bubble emergence and relaxes the constrainst for the stability of gas nuclei. This new geometry reduces the height of crevices required for the prediction of bubble emergence an order of magnitude when compared to the conical crevice, and satisfies the hydrophobic crevice condition as long as the crevice surface has a contact angle greater than 90.degree.

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