Modeling the propagation of sound in a liquid containing air bubbles

The article shows an investigation of sound wave propagation in a liquid containing air bubbles using numerical modeling in the COMSOL Multiphysics software environment. The primary focus is on analyzing the impact of gas inclusions on the acoustic properties of the medium, including dispersion, absorption, and nonlinear effects. The modeling was conducted for a water-based medium under standard conditions (P = 1 atm, T = 293.15 K) within a 0.1 × 0.1 × 0.5 m tank with rigid boundaries. Two cases were examined: at a frequency of 8,333.3 Hz (wavelength equal to twice the bubble diameter) and 16,667 Hz (wavelength equal to the bubble diameter). The results showed that at the lower frequency, the bubble has minimal influence on wave propagation, causing only local disturbances, whereas at the higher frequency, enhanced scattering, the formation of complex interference patterns, and local amplification of acoustic pressure were observed. The findings confirm the effectiveness of COMSOL Multiphysics for modeling acoustic phenomena and provide a foundation for further research, including the analysis of nonlinear effects in the ultrasonic range and systems with multiple bubbles.