Computer simulations of the rupture of a gas bubble at a gas—liquid interface and its implications in animal cell damage

Hydrodynamic information of the flow occurring as a bubble breaks at a gas—liquid interface has been obtained from computer simulations. The transient rate of energy dissipation per unit volume in the region close to the bubble interface has been calculated. It was found that when a bubble collapses, there is a very high, localized energy dissipation which can be used to explain animal cell damage in sparged suspended animal cell cultures. The rate of energy dissipation was found to be a strong function of bubble size, increasing rapidly as the bubble size decreases.