A rising bubble in a polymer solution

We propose a boundary integral method to study the shape of a bubble rising under gravity in a dilute polymer solution. Constitutive properties are modelled using a FENE model [M.D. Chilcott, J.M. Rallison, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 29 (1988) 381] with a pure surface tension interface. We employ a birefringent strand representation [O.G. Harlen, J.M. Rallison, M.D. Chilcott, High-Deborah-number flows of dilute polymer, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech.34 (1990) 319–349] of the wake to simulate the shape and the time-dependent motion of the bubble. Steady and non-steady solutions reproduce qualitatively the bubble deformation seen in experiment with a small region of very high curvature near the rear stagnation point of the bubble. We find a limit point for steady axisymmetric solutions if the polymer concentration is increased or the surface tension is decreased. Rise speed jump discontinuities were not found.